




m 



.y,Y. 



v<^^ 




/ 



Poems and Sketches 



CONSISTING OF 



POEMS AXD LOCAL HISTORY; BIOGRAPHY; NOTES OF TRAVEL; 
LONG LIST OF WAYNE COUNTY'S PIONEER DEAD, ALSO MANY 
NAMES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN DEFENSE OF 
THEIR COUNTRY, DURING THE LATE REBELLION, 
AND WHOSE HONORED REMAINS ARE IN- 
TERRED IN THIS VICINITY; WITH MUCH 
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE 
MISCELLANEOUS MATTER; 



George P. Emswiler, 



Carefully Collated and Arranged by the Author. 



Richmond, Indiana: t % 

Nicholson Printing & Mfg. Co., C -^ ^" 

1897. \\vVO^ 






i 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1897, by 

GEORGE P. EMSWILER, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Oongress, at Washington. 



:^ 



'Dedication, 

o/" //tree noA/e sou/s, 

T^artAa >P^^ncs ^I'niej/, J^tti'h'a ^. Soodr/c/i, 

ane^ m^ dear-j c^evofee/ TnofAer-j 

S/i^ade^A 97/ttcAcN, 

a// /on^ st'nce e^e/^arfed /'rom f/ie con/'e'nes o/" f/it's sac/ tvor/cf, 

I'n/o f/ie cc&or/es o^ joecice cinct rest eferna/. 



PREFACE. 



riAHE contents of this volume consist of an hundred 
\_ and fifty, or more, poems, on a multitude of sub- 
jects; also, several interesting papers on local histor}^ ; 
sundry biographical sketches of former citizens of note ; 
several old and interesting letters written in days 
of " auld lang-syne ; " some miscellaneous matter, 
pertinent and impertinent ; some brief sketches of 
travel ; and a long list of pioneer names, with age, and 
date of death, directly from the records, whose bearers 
have passed, in the fullness of time, to the ever-silent 
shores beyond ; also, a partial list of Wayne county's 
soldier dead : forming, in the aggregate, an exceed- 
ingly interesting collection, rare and valuable, to be 
found nowhere else in print. The material has been 
collected and wrought out, at various times and inter- 
vals, to beguile the tedium of an idle hour, and was 
begun in the author's boyhood days and continued on 
down to the present time, with ?io thought, whatever, 
until recently, of putting the matter into its present 
form. None of the ' contents have, therefore, been 
worked up, mechanically, with the purpose of making 



vi PREFACE. 

a book. He has no apology to offer for an}- defects of 

composition or arrangement, as we are all human and 

liable to err, and, besides, in his case, circumstances 

compelled him to be his own tutor and the architect of 

his own fortune. He does sincerel}' wish the offering 

were more worthy, but, such as it is, he has determined 

to submit it to an ever-tolerant public, hoping it may 

at least amuse, should it fail to edify or instruct, the 

reader. 

The Author. 



CONTENTS. 



MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 

The World's Columbian Fair 1 

The Great Pullman Strike 4 

The Stars , 8 

Musings 9 

Garfield School House 11 

Life 12 

Time 13 

His Loving Spirit Fills All Space 15 

" If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again ? " . 17 

Contemplation 19 

" Be Not Like Dumb-Driven Cattle " 20 

The Bell at Saint Paul's 22 

Niagara 24 

Lines to a Late November Butterfly 26 

Thoughts Suggested by the Closing Year 29 

Robert Burns 31 

The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet 33 

To a Departed Sister 34 

Abandon 35 

Indolence 36 

Departing Summer 38 

The Snow, Dec. 2d, 1893 39 

Some Cool Reflections on a Gas Fire 40 

Thoughts Suggested at "Fountain Square," Cincinnati, 0. 41 

Thanksgiving of the Poor 43 

Aimless Thoughts 44 

Scenes and Reflections at "Yearly Meeting" 45 

Musings ( written while the snow was falling ) 49 

Pictures of AVinter 51 



viii CONTENTS. 

Some Characteristics of Our City's Servants 53 

Lines Suggested by the Recent Death of a Friend ... 55 

The Toiler's Lament 57 

March 13th and 14th, 1893 58 

Master Wilhe May 59 

Early Spring 60 

Creation's Heirs 61 

A Public Wedding at Old Pearl Street Church 62 

When Life is Young 63 

A Wail at the Weather. 64 

Enigma 65 

To One Departed 67 

Pandom Thoughts 68 

Lines to a Belated Grasshopper 69 

The World a Theatre 70 

To Evan Wright 71 

Lines Suggested by a Visit to Benj. and Emily Strattan . 72 

Toil On 73 

A Doggerel on a Departed Canine 74 

Impromptu Lines Suggested by an Old Bonnet .... 75 

To an Absent Brother 76 

The Chase 77 

A Sabbath Afternoon in Summer 78 

A Fragment 78 

Musings 79 

Impromptu Lines to March 80 

To One at Rest 81 

Early Autumn 82 

Could Prayers Avail 83 

The Day We Celebrate 84 

March 11th, 1896 85 

Passing Away 86 

I Know No Misanthropic Hours 87 

Old Letters 89 

Early Spring 91 

My Love and 1 92 

Lines to a Butterfly 94 

When First We Met 96 

Retrospection 97 



CONTENTS. ix 

Just as Thy Nature Urges 99 

Crinoline 100 

Memento Mori 101 

Autumnal Musings 102 

The Robin 103 

Two Translations 104 

In the Days When I Went Tipsying 105 

Some Reflections in a Country Churchyard 107 

The Rose 108 

Artlessness in Art 109 

Lines to a Late Rosebud 110 

Sleeves, and Hoops, and Bustles Ill 

Passing Away 112 

Mary Had a Little Dog 113 

Lines Suggested by the Tolling of Pearl Street M. E. 

Church Bell / 115 

The Rain — A Protest 116 

A Boyish Dream 118 

May 19th, 1894 119 

To E. J. S 121 

To Miss Sarah F y 122 

An Humble Tribute to Nelson Stanley 123 

To Rachel M. Atherton 124 

To Miss ]Mary Rambo 125 

Impromptu Lines to Nellie Smurr 126 

To One Who Loved, Not Wisely, but Too Well .... 127 

Lines on the Death of a Favorite Cat 128 

Apostrophe 128 

Seeking Gold 129 

Stanzas on the Early "Gold Fever" 131 

To Christian Rathfon 132 

To Isaac Kline 133 

Impromptu Nonsense 133 

A New Year's Greeting to William L, John 134 

Avoid Extremes 134 

To William L. John, on His Eighty-eighth Birthday . . 135 

These Are Weary Days of Waiting 137 

To William Parry / 138 

To William L. John, Aged Ninety-one Years 140 



X COXTENTS. 

To Dr. T. H. Davis Ul 

Thoughts of Autumn 142 

December 8th, 1894 143 

The Curfew Bell Will Rmg To-Night 144 

I Hate That Drum's Discordant Sound 146 

Charles H. Burchenal 147 

Henry R. Downing 148 

Never Do Thou Stoop to Conquer 149 

POETICAL LETTERS. 

To Claudius Byles 152 

To S. F. Smurr 153 

To My Sister 156 

THE SEASONS. 

New Year's Morning, 1893 158 

A Day of Gloom — February, 1894 159 

Winds of March " 161 

An April Morn 162 

A Morning in May 163 

Reflections on a Morning in ]May 164 

In the Sunny Days of June 165 

July ^ 167 

In August — The Harvest is Over • 169 

August 170 

September — Summer Wanes 172 

Autumn ^ — October 174 

November 175 

Farewell to December 176 

Let Every Tongue Rejoice 178 

Summer Salad 180 

A Summer's Day 182 

Autumnal Leaves 184 

To Winter 185 

RELIGIOUS POEMS AND SENTIMENTS. 

0, Why Should We Mourn ? 186 

In Lent 187 

At the Last 188 



CONTENTS. xi 

Christmas 190 

Thanksgiving Day 191 

Random Thoughts 193 

And This Is True 194 

"Be Just, and Fear Not" 195 

Some Reflections 195 

As I See It 196 

Jewels Are Jehovah's Trust 197 

Jesus — A Triple Acrostic 198 

" Just as I Am, Without One Plea " 199 

ALBUM PIECES. 

To Beauty, for Miss Biles 202 

To Miss Mary Mason 203 

To Gabriella Newton 204 

To Miss Mary Finley 205 

To Mary E. H— t 206 

To Mary Ellen Ward 207 

To Elmira Basset 208 

To Rebecca D. Strattan 209 

To Sarah F 210 

To Miss Rebecca Meek 211 

To Julia A. Brady . 211 

VALENTINES. 

To Miss Margaret McCoy 213 

To Miss Phoebe C—f—d"! 214 

To Miss Rebecca D. Strattan 215 

To Miss Rebecca Meek 216 

To Miss Mary Rambo 216 

LOCAL HISTORICAL SKETCHES. 

My Recollections of Richmond — Paper No. 1 221 

My Recollections of Richmond — Paper No. 2 234 

My Recollections of Richmond — Paper No. 3 250 



xii CONTENTS. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

General Sol Meredith 258 

Alfred Kayiie 259 

Judge James Perry 263 

Irvin Reed 267 

Senator John Yaryan 270 

William Parry 274 

William L. John 276 

OLD LETTERS OF PIONEER TIMES. 

Andrew Finley, Jr. (Xo. 1) 282 

Andrew Finley, Jr. (No. 2) 285 

Rebecca Bradbury 287 

Susan Finley 288 

MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES. 

Court House Remov^al 290 

How Richmond Met a Crisis 291 

Richmond's Postmasters 292 

David Hoover's Memoir 295 

A Relic of War Times 311 

Some County History 821 

HISTORICAL. 

Recollections, Etc 325 

A Trip to California 328 

AVESTERN SKETCHES. 

An Old Time Elopement 333 

Early Railroad History at Richmond, Ind 337 

Early Railroading Between Richmond and Anderson . . 344 

MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 

Canal-Boat Trains 351 

Our Navy During the War 353 

War Prices in the North 355 

War Prices in the South 359 

Cotton Mather and the Friends 361 



CONTENTS. xiii 

The Optimist 363 

The Children of the Desert 365 

Chronology of Plants 369 

Shells, Fossils and Flowers 372 

Travel— Notes by the Way 373 

PIONEER DEAD. 

First Settlers — Place of interment unknown 400 

Earlham Cemetery 401 

Maple Grove Cemetery 412 

Friends' Old North Side Cemetery 412 

German Lutheran Cemetery 413 

German Catholic Cemetery 414 

Irish Catholic Cemetery 416 

Hoover Burying Grounds 417 

McClure Family Cemetery 418 

Friends' Ridge Cemetery 419 

King's Cemetery 420 

Goshen Cemetery 421 

Elkhorn Cemetery 423 

Chester Cemetery 424 

Centerville Cemetery 426 

Boston Cemetery 427 

Recent Deaths 429 

THE SOLDIER DEAD. 

Maple Grove Cemetery 431 

Earlham Cemetery 432 

Elkhorn Cemetery 432 

Boston Cemetery 432 

Lutheran Cemetery 439 

German Catholic Cemetery 433 

Irish Catholic Cemetery 433 

Public Cemetery 433 

Old Catholic Cemetery 433 

Kennedy's Chapel 433 

God Bless Abraham Lincoln 434 

Farewell Poem 435 



MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 



THE WORI^D'S COLUMBIAN FAIR. 



Thou great White City by the lake, 
Thou rare conception of the mind ; 

A dreamy fancy crystalUzed, 

The proudest work of humankind. 

The world thy equal ne'er has seen, 
Nor will it soon compete with thee ; 

In grandeur thou wilt stand alone 
For ages that are yet to be. 

Here all the universal world 

Has stored the choicest things it holds 
Of skill, or wealth, or pomp, or power, 

That we may see what life unfolds. 

Here mines reveal their richest ores. 
And forestry displays its woods. 

The watery world its wondrous stores, 
And cultured fields their fruits and foods. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Here we behold rich gems of art, 
And treasures fair as ever sought, 

To please the mind, or touch the heart — 
From earth's remotest regions brought. 

From Europe and from Afric's soil, 
From Asia and its vast domain, 

From East and West, come works of toil, 
And lessons for the busy brain. 

Here science and mechanic art 
Declare the progress of the world, 

And merchandise from every mart 
Where'er a flag has been unfurled. 

Swart natives from the torrid zone. 
With such as dwell in regions drear. 

And ocean's distant islands lone, 
And ever3^ continent, are here. 

Behold w^hat energy has wrought ! 

What grand results of brain and skill ! 
The climax of creative thought, 

A w^onder to amaze and thrill. 

In gratitude for priceless dower. 
We celebrate a countr^^'s birth — 

The grandest, freest, best : the flower 
And fruitage of the smiling earth. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

All Hail, Columbia ! May thy years 
Exceed the years of Greece and Rome, 

And ma3^ a happ}^ people's cheers 

Forever greet thee : ' ' Home, sweet home. ' ' 

And thou, Chicago — Freedom's pride, 

A ver3^ queen b}" Nature blest, 
Whose feet are laved b}^ wind and tide : 

The crown and glory of the West — 

To thee belongs a meed of praise 

For what thou hast conceived and wrought 
The grandest work of latter days 

By which the nations have been taught. 

Here thronging millions come to see, 
From every foreign clime and zone. 

Admire and praise thy works and thee - 
Supremest effort man has known. 

October 12, 1893. 



"^^^&^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



THE GREAT PULLMAN STRIKE. 



[ Engineered by Eugene V. Debs, President of the American Railway 
Union, culminating in riot and bloodshed, on Saturday and Sunday, July 
7th and Sth, '9i, at Chicago, Illinois, when Federal and State troops wei'e 
called out to quell the disturbance, after hundreds of cars had been 
burned, with much other railroad property, amounting, it is claimed, to 
over two million dollars.] 



The times are all in a turmoil ; 

There is striking on all the roads — 
Determined to boycott Pullman, 

Regardless of means or modes. 

A spirit of evil possesses 

These toilers, against the rich, 

Who vent their spleen with torch and force 
And the aid of the railroad switch. 

They complain of a serious grievance, 
Which, granting it ma}^ be just, 

Can never excuse their dreadful work, 
Which tramples all rights in the dust. 

Destruction of cars by hundreds. 
With marvelous wealth of freight : 

Live cattle and hogs and horses. 
And products from far-off States. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Switches and towers and tracks 

Are broken and burned and wrecked : 

In their devihsh round of destruction 
They never a moment reflect. 

They side-track Pullman sleepers, 
And hinder the Government trains, 

And tie up travel and traffic, 

Both eastward and over the plains. 

All properties owned b}" the roads. 
Wherever they chance to be found. 

Are wrecked by these anarchist hordes, 
Or burned, in their hate, to the o:round. 



&' 



And still these elements flourish ; 

The unions of all the trades 
Are being called off from labor, 

In sj'mpathy's various shades. 

They are bound upon conquest, they sa}^, 
Determined to rule or to ruin ; 

And, worse than the beasts of the forests, 
They haven't the sense of a " Bruin." 

The spirit of evil is rampant ; 

The country is wild with commotion ; 
And, like a contagion, is spreading. 

And widens from ocean to ocean. 



a POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Having quitted their places of labor, 
To join with the vagabond host, 

They are out on a raid of destruction ; 
And to ruin the rich, is their boast : 

Forgetting that money is needful 
To furnivSh employments for all, 

And that bread, and a home, and apparel, 
Are wants of the great and the small ; 

That idleness ends in distress, 

Demoralization and crime ; 
That labor alone tends to bless, 

Ennoble, and make us sublime. 

Then why should such envy exist 

As capital seems to create ? 
Without it no labor could live. 

Nor happiness come to the State. 

Then cease all this turbulent fury ; 

Go, each to his engine or brake ; 
You cannot afford to be idle : 

Your course is an aw^ful mistake. 

Be just to the laws of the land. 
By being good citizens, all ; 

Avoid being tools of a leader, 
To serve his behests or his call. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Be honest, and faithful, and prudent ; 

Provide for the comforts of age ; 
And should disaffection surround you. 

Keep aloof from its frenzy and rage ; 

For those who command you seek glory. 
And are drunk with the power they hold. 

And simply repeat the old story 
A thousand times acted and told. 

Their reign will be brief, we may trust, 
For the State and the Nation, at hand 

With their forces and loyalty, must 
Compel the vile mob to disband ; 

And as the promoters of crime 
May speedily hang for their sport, 

Or serve a life sentence of time 

From whence they may never report. 

July 9, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



THE STARS. 



From childhood's earhest hours till now, 
My thoughts have vainly striven 

To comprehend those orbs of light, 
Those star-lit lamps of heaven. 

And, oftentimes, my soul hath dwelt 

In rapture, wild and free, 
As contemplating them I knelt 

To ask from whence they be — 

To know that high Almighty hand, 
Whose boundless power and love 

Created, and sustained, and planned. 
Such countless worlds above ; 

Whose sweet, mild radiance comes to earth 
Like gem-drops, through the air. 

And shining on, through endless years, 
God's providence declare. 

May my freed spirit take its flight 
Some calm, bright, holy even'. 

Drink in one draught of their pure light, 
And sweetly pass to heaven. 

December 17, 1890. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



MUSINGS. 



"The remembrance of youth is a sigh.-' 

Once fondest illusions of promise and hope 

Shed a halo of gladness around, 
And the sigh, and the tear, and the cares of to-day, 

Could not in my presence be found. 

But change is inherent in all that has life, 

And constancy never was known ; 
The castles we builded, in battle and strife, 

Like leaves have been scattered and strown. 

For a shadow like that of the passage of clouds 
O'er the glow of the Mid-Summer sun, 

Will shade, in its turn, ev'ry brow with a care 
Kre the goal of ambition is won ; 

And the maid on whose cheek blend the lily and rose, 
And the youth who, so happy and fair. 

In his ardor aspires to be wealthy or great. 
Will each be the victims of care. 

I, too, had bright hopes of the future in view, 
And an aim that was noble and high, 

But, alas ! for my dreams, for they vanished in air, 
Like the vapory mists of the sky. 



,10 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

I feel no such buo3''ancy boyhood displayed, 
Which, in fullness of soul, effervesced ; 

But instead, with a soberness suited to age. 
For many a long year have been blessed. 

Thus many a fond hope has been blighted in blooming, 
And many a fond heart has been crushed ; 

Its sorrows within its own bosom concealing ; 
Its mirth and its gleefulness hushed. 

Still, I love to go back to the shadowy past, • 
And muse o'er the pleasures it brought us ; 

The many fair visions, too fleeting to last. 

And the frostwork of bliss that was wrought us. 

For the Spring-time of life, tho' a glorious cheat, . 

Has food for reflection and ruth, 
And its joys — evanescent, entrancingly sweet — 

Seemed real and lasting as truth. 



Note.— Written in 1854; revised in May, 1891. 



®^^8|^ 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 11 



GARFIELD SCHOOL HOUSE. 



[ Erected by Dr. Joel Vaile, in 185i ; removed by Ebon Louck, in 
June, 189i, to whom has been given the contract for a new building.] 

I saw thee builded, and have seen thee fall, 
Dismantled and demolished, to thy basement's wall ; 
A once proud structure of a former day, 
Like all things earthly, thou hast passed away. 

A temple, trul}^, where the j^outhful mind 
Was fed and fostered and to good inclined. 
For two-score years thy purpose served us well, 
But in mem'ry onl}- wilt thou henceforth dwell. 

Some statelier structure will supply thy place, 
Combining elegance, as well as grace ; 
For pride and riches, with their siren song. 
Have won the worship of the thoughtless throng. 

Uncultured minds no higher joys can know 
Than vain display, or garish, tawdr}^ show ; 
While modest worth has vanished far away, 
Or sought the precincts of some by-gone day. 

The old simplicity, that once prevailed. 
Is jeered and hooted, and by gibes assailed ; 
► Our robes are scarlet : that the}^ catch the eye. 
And flash and flourish, common sense def}-. 



.12 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

The world at large is out on dress parade, 
For even learning apes the showy maid ; 
With surface gilding, on a mental ground, 
It seeks to dazzle and appear profound. 

Delusive shams, instead of wholesome truths. 
Are doled, " ad libitum," to ardent youths ; 
While things essential to our weal or w^oe. 
Must find solution as through life we go. 

Let common sense be your unfailing guide ; 
Be self-reliant, shunning shams and pride ; 
Take naught for granted — follow wisdom's plan 
Think for yourself, and prove yourself a man. 

June i8, 1894. 



LIFE. 

Life is a mysterious mystery, 
Which none may solve, of all humanit}^ ; 
Supreme reflection of a Great First Cause, 
Controlling being, under Nature's laws. 

Akin to light, which doth illume the day, 
It shines, in splendor, but to pass away ; 
No seeking will the story ever tell — 
It may be soul or spirit, energy or spell. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 13 

It seemeth like a breath, a shadow fleeting, 
Which stirs the vital currents, and the pulses beating-, 
And may evanish, like the misty air, 
Or linger strangely, after we despair. 

A real something, yet we see it not ; 
An unseen force — alas ! we know not what ; 
We call it life, but can explain no more. 
Though w^e all learning and all thought explore. 

To that High Power which no eye beholds. 
We leave the problem, till His w411 unfolds ; 
We only know vitality and being 
Bring power of action, loving, hating, seeing. 

June, 1893. 



TIME. 

Time is the measure of the ages past ; 

A miracle of power, invincible, sublime ; 
An ever- active force, an ocean vast ; 

The grand inheritance of every clime. 

The instrument and glory of the Great I Am ; 

The day of Deity, which doth not pause. 
But worketh and evolveth, in a peaceful psalm, 

Eternal duty, through eternal laws. 



14 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

At His behest, unnumbered distant spheres, 

Through time and space, revolve their devious 
rounds. 
And so continue, in the countless years, 

Through regions knowing neither metes nor 
bounds. 

A vasty deep, an endless, measureless degree. 
Is Time — the might} arbiter of all ; 
• Nations and empires yield themselves to thee : 
They rise, in splendor, and in time they fall. 

Thou art a conqueror without a peer ; 

Thou comest and thou goest like the viewless 
wind ; 
Thou fleest swiftly as the charioteer. 

And dire destruction in thy path we find. 

June 28, 1893. 



r7^^5^-D 



POEMS AXB SKETCHES. 15 



HIS LOVING SPIRIT FILLS ALL SPACE. 



In temples of the glorious woods, 

Where God's first altars rose sublime, 

There men, of various climes and moods, 
Erst knelt to Him, in ancient time. 

The mighty oak, the towering pine, 
Which sheltered, and ascended high. 

Were fane and spire, the most divine 
That ever pointed to the sky. 

Man here communed with Nature's God, 

In silence and in solitude. 
And saw, without the chastening rod, 

That all His ways and works were good. 

No glittering show, no vain display, 
Which man alone regards as great. 

Distracted thought from Heaven away 
To empty forms and pomp of state. 

The sun by day, the moon by night. 
And all the countless orbs that shine, 

Were proof to them of power and might, 
Forever loving and divine. 



10 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Go forth, my brother ; seek the hills, 

The sparkling streams, the vales of green, 

The boundless plains, whose grandeur fills 
The soul with awe : there God hath been. 

Behold the glorious earth and sk}^ ; 

Breathe in the ambient air of heaven ; 
Expand thy soul ; prepare to fly 

From narrow creeds that men have given. 

His loving spirit fills all space : 
Not only temples built by hands. 

But everywhere He sheds His grace — 
From mountain peaks to ocean strands. 

Sunday, August 2, 1891. 



^ 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 17 



"IF A MAX DIE. SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?" 



" Ah, whither strays the immortal mind 
When coldness wraps this suffering clay ? ' ' 

When this fair world we leave behind, 
And death and darkness veil the day ? 

Will it go hence to distant worlds, 
Beyond the ken of mortals given, 

To live again, where life unfurls 
Existence in a joyous Heaven? 

Eh'sian fields where happy souls. 

Beloved and loving, ever dwell? 
Where bliss eternally unrolls 

Some new delight no tongue can tell ? 

Shall we rejoin our loved ones there, 
And know them as we knew them here. 

Exempt from toil, and pain, and care — 
Inflictions of this mundane sphere ? 

Will naught but happiness and bliss 
Fill up the hours of endless years. 

And everlasting praise dismiss 

The fleeting ages, free from tears? 



18 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Or shall we be condemned and doomed 
To endless 3'ears of woe, instead, 

Or in forgetfulness, entombed, 
Remain till age on age is sped ? 

Alas ! for us — we do not know 
What is our destined end or aim ; 

Wh}^ we have lived, nor where we go, 
Xor e'en from whence, at first, we came. 

O I Thou Supreme, Almight}' Power, 
Reveal to us these hidden things. 

That we ma^' know Th}' will, each hour, 
Freed from the doubt and fear it brings. 

These secrets. Lord, on us bestow, 

AVho see Thy works and still are blind ; 

Whose e3'es behold, where'er we go, 
Some unsolved m^^st'ry of the mind. 

September 30, 1892. 



^<j^' 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 19 



CONTEMPLATION. 



We dwell amidst unnumbered worlds, 
In unexplored and boundless space, 

Wherein supreme creative power 
And high intelligence, we trace. 

We view", with an admiring awe. 

Great suns and systems as they roll — 

Obedient to a common law, 

Fixed, from the first, for 'their control. 

Beneath the all-resplendent stars — 
A panorama, vast and grand — 

A streaming light of shining bars 
Illumines air, and sea, and land : 
Amid all these we nightly stand 

Upon the crest of this great ball — 
Yclept the globe, or Mother Earth — 

Revolving — with its kindred, all 
In mighty orbit — since its birth. 

Hereon, for countless ages past, 
Millions of millions lived and died ; 

For a brief space they dwelt, and passed, 
And others, still, their place supplied. 



20 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

So it has been, and so will be 
Till Time itself shall be no more, 

And all mankind are called to see 
That Being whom we all adore ; 

That Great First Cause — our fathers' God — 
Through whom we live and have been blest. 

Who chastens us, with mercy's rod, 
And giveth His beloved rest. 

How wonderful are all His works ! 

How fraught with wisdom all His waj^s ! 
What mysterj^ abounds and lurks 

In all His countless years and days ! 

March 20, 1893. 



"BE NOT LIKE DUMB-DRIVEN CATTLE.' 



** Be not like dumb-driven cattle : 
Be a hero in the strife ; ' ' 

Be not led by others' teachings, 
But evolve th}- own true life. 

Hail mankind as loving brothers. 
Have a lofty aim in view ; 

Do the right to self and others, 
Only goodly paths pursue. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 21 

Honor those whose worth and wisdom 
Count for more than gems or gold, 

But forbear to fawn or truckle, 
And be neither bought nor sold. 

Ne'er forget thou art a freeman, 

In a land of liberty ; 
Where the plowman or the seaman 

Dares a Senator to be. 

Let thy daily life proclaim thee 

Moral, merciful and just ; 
Doing for thy friends and neighbors 

Works of love, and not of lust. 

Think for thyself ; let manhood shine 

Resplendent over all thou dost ; 
To wisdom let thine ear incline, 

And virtue be thy guest and host. 

So wilt thou be complete in all 

That the Supreme decreed iot thee ; 

Let superstition's shackles fall, 

For truth alone can make thee free. 

By energy and faith, I trow, 

And self-reliance, most divine. 
Thou canst compel the world to bow 

And worship at thy chosen shrine. 



.22 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Then ' ' be not like dumb-driven cattle 
Be a hero in the strife ; ' ' 

Press onward in the din of battle, 
And evolve a nobler life. 

God has meant that every being 
Should grow stronger in the right, 

And at last attain perfection, 
For acceptance in His sight. 

November 15, 1893. 



THE BELL AT ST. PAUL'S. 



Full man}^ a time thy tones I've heard 

Ring out, in 3^ears gone b}", 
And listened till my heart w^as stirred, 

And echo made repl}^ 

Thy sad, sweet notes have wondrous charms. 

In every peal and swell. 
And fill my soul w4th joy so full 

That language fails to tell. 

I've loved thee well, and loved thee long — 

In truth, I love thee still, 
As thou dost call the careless throng 

To worship, if they will. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Thou art to me a cherished friend, 

Cemented by long years, 
And may est sometime mark my end, 

In sadness, if not tears ; 

For often dost thou sadly toll 

For some dear friend or brother ; 

Some cherished sister, passed awa3^ 
Or dear, devoted mother. 

Oft have I heard from stately towers. 

In regions far away, 
Sweet bells ring out, in morning hours, 

In joyous clang and pla}^ ; 

But nowhere else on earth, to me, 
Have such sweet notes been rung 

As flood the vibrant air from thee, 
And issue from thy tongue. 

Still ring the call to praise and prayer, 

As oft in days of yore, 
Till hope invites to climes more fair, 

Beyond this mundane shore. 

Aye, ring in tones distinct and clear, 
Melodious, sweet, and long. 

Till every sin-sick soul has cheer, 
And faith in God is strong. 



24 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

And when thy mission is fulfilled — 
Should that good time e'er come — 

And truth from error is distilled, 
Then, only, be thou dumb. 

And now, farewell, thou dear old bell ; 

Ring for the thoughtless world ; 
Ring loud and long, His mercies tell ; 

Love's banner floats unfurled. 

Sunday, January 7, 1894. 



NIAGARA. 



Thou wondrous marvel of the world ! 
Whose floods for ages have been hurled 
Into far depths, unseen, below, 
From whence th}^ surging waters go ! 

Thou art sublime in might and power, 
And, flowing on through time's long hour. 
Hast rolled impetuous o'er these rocks, 
And dashed to foam, in deafening shocks. 

Thy roar — a never-ceasing sound — 
Ascends from hidden caves, profound. 
Where boiling waters seethe and foam, 
And mist and furv find a home. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 25 

Amazed at sight of thee, we feel 

An awe that words cannot reveal ; 

A shrinking fear, wrought by thy frown, 

As might}^ torrents pour them down. 

Full many a luckless wight, long dead, 
Since fleeting eons hence have sped, 
Has drifted down, in dire dismay, 
To thy deep, yawning gulfs, away. 

The Indian, in his frail canoe — 
To all his native instincts true — 
Pursuing hind, or fallow deer, 
Across thy bosom, year by year, 
Or vengeful foe, in horrid hate, 
Has met, upon thy brink, his fate. 

So his white brother, far less rude, 
Has ventured forth, in thoughtless mood. 
To where thy restless waters flow, 
And, leaping, thunder down below. 

Nor these alone, but Nature's throng, 
Whom instinct blindly leads along 
And lures to death, upon thy wave, 
Be\'ond the power of help to save. 



26 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Pour down thy floods while time shall last,, 
Tremendous torrent, swift and vast, 
Far into mystic depths below, 
And rear aloft thy radiant bow. 

Triumphant work of Nature's God, 
Evolved ere man the earth had trod ! 
Emblem of power and might, for aye, 
Sublimel}^ grand, Niagara ! 

May io, 1894. 



LINES TO A LATE NOVEMBER BUTTERFLY. 



[ On Thursday, November 13th, while out driving, the day being 
warm and pleasant, I saw, at a short distance in advance of me, a 
very beautiful butterfly, sporting in the sun as in the early days of 
Summer.] 

'Tw^as the thirteenth of November, 
And a day to long remember. 
For the sun was shining brightly, 
And ni}^ team was tripping lightly. 
As we traveled down the road. 

I was musing o'er the past, 
And the shadows it had cast, 
When I lifted up mj^ ej^es, 
And I saw, with glad surprise. 
What the circumstance bestowed. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

'Twas a miracle, indeed, 
That the season seemed to breed, 
In its solar warmth and light, 
And, with marvelous delight, 
I beheld a butterfly ! 

Happy spirit of the air. 
Flitting lightl}^ here and there, 
lyike a harbinger of bliss. 
Come to beckon us from this 
- To some fairer world on high — 

Cheer us ever, beauteous thing ; 
Hover round, on sportive wing ; 
Pleasant thoughts forever bring : 
Youthful fancies, boyish dreams, 
Flowering meads and babbling streams. 
Of the golden days now flown. 

When a romping, gleeful child, 
Many an hour have I beguiled 
In pursuit of such as thou. 
Whose fair presence charms me now, 
Though to manhood I have grown. 

Ignis fatuus fancies flit. 
Still, across my brain, and sit, 
Just as thou art wont to do, 
On some object strange and new ; 
And as quickU' come and go. 



28 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Given still a score of years 
In this vale of joys and tears, 
We may never chance to see 
Other winged sprite like thee 
Linger till the cold winds blow. 

Such a charm, in chill November, 
We shall cherish and remember, 
For like seasons come not often. 
Its asperities to soften, 

That we dare forget them soon. 

And the soul that is not better, 
When to Nature it is debtor 
For its charms, to mind or eye, 
E'en of bird or butterfly, 
Must be sadly out of tune. 

November 13, 1890. 






POEMS AXD SKETCHES, 29 



THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY THE CLOSING 

YEAR. 



And now another 3'ear is past, 

A twelvemonth more of hfe is sped, 

Borne onward to that ocean vast 
Where all preceding time has fled. 

Like atoms on a flowing river, 

Humanit}' is drifting on 
To find its goal — returning never — 

Till all now living shall be gone. 

The thought is sad, 3'et Nature's laws 
Are absolute, as were the Medes' , 

And if the contemplation awes, 
'Tis the most kindh' of His deeds. 

In 3'outh a buoyant spirit reigns. 
And we are confident and strong ; 

At middle age strength still sustains. 
And promises a vo3-age long. 

Old age appears to us at last, 

With sunken cheeks and grizzled hair. 
And tells us that our prime is past — 

A truth our feelings all declare. 



30 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

With steps uncertain now, and slow, 
A staff required for our support, 

We totter on, as down we go — 

Of circumstance and time, the sport. 

Worn out, at last, we sink to rest, 

From life's concerns and troubles, free ; 

At peace with all the world, and blest 
Throughout a vast eternity. 

As forest trees grow old, and die, 
And younger forms arise instead, 

So, reader, will both 3'ou and I 

Go hence, ere many moons are sped. 

Deplore it not, for Nature's ways. 
Like justice, are the waj's of God ; 

Probationar}^ years and days 

Lead homeward, and b}' all are trod. 

Life here prepares us for the skies — 
If, happily, such heavenly spheres 

Await — to which we ma}- arise, 

Triumphant, through our toils and tears. 

Rest, sureh' — if naught else — is ours, 
In dreamless and unending sleep : 

Blest gift of the supernal powers, 
For souls quiescent cannot weep. 

December 20, 1893. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 31 



ROBERT BURNS. 



Truly, the youthful Burns was gay ; 

A happ}^ reveler in his day ; 

His years were ever June or May, 

And bloomed with love. 

He knew not care, but everywhere 
Had amours wdth Eve's daughters, fair, 
Who seemed inclined his flame to share, 

In cot or grove. 

A rustic, all unschooled, and free, 
With native wit, in full degree. 
Endowed with wondrous sense to see. 

As well as know. 

A peasant born, he wTote with skill. 
He plowed and planted at his will. 
And on himself the most of ill 

He did bestow. 

But, after all, his soul was great, 
And far beyond his low estate. 
Which was too humble to elate 

So clear a mind. 



32 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

He stood alone and had few peers, 
And none, for opportunit}^ and years ; 
And later times will greet with cheers 

Aught he designed. 

He was dear Scotia's noble son ; 
Lowly and loft}^ all in one ; 
The friend of all, the foe of none 

Except the proud. 

He loved the right, despised the wrong, 
And hurled his pointed shafts of song, 
In language keen, as well as strong, 

At the vile crowd. 

He was the child of Nature, too ; 
To all its loving instincts true. 
And celebrated all he knew 

Of its fair charms. 

lyong may his nobler thoughts endure — 
The tender, sympathetic, pure, 
The heritage of rich and poor — 

Through time's alarms. 

January 30, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 33 



THE LUNATIC/THE LOVER, AND THE 

POET. 



" The lunatic, the lover, and the poet 

Are of imagination all compact ; ' ' 
We write it that you read it and may know it, 

For the saying is not questioned as a fact. 

The vagaries and visions of the lover 
Tell of heaven upon earth unto him, 

For the joys of his heart we discover 

Welling up, through the soul, to the brim. 

So the lunatic, in mental aberrations, 
Hath visions of magnificence and glory, 

Though descended through the lowliest of stations. 
Or the scion of a king famed in story. 

While the poet, no less ardent, taketh flight 
To the starry and the distant fields of air, 

For the lofty and the beautiful delight, 
And his spirit ever seeketh what is fair. 

So he pictureth a world aglow with bloom, 
And his sky becomes as radiant as heaven ; 

While a ceaseless longing doth his soul consume 
As he pleadeth that his weakness be forgiven. 



34 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

" The lunatic, the lover, and the poet 
Are of imagination all compact ; ' ' 

We write it that you read it and may know it, 
For the saying is unquestioned as a fact. 

JUI.Y 24, 1893. 



TO A DEPARTED SISTER, AGED SIXTEEN 

YEARS. 



God, in his goodness, placed thee here. 
With sisters dear and brothers, 

To glad the heart of th}^ fond sire. 
And cheer a doting mother's. 

But short, alas ! thy earthly stay 
With those thou lov'dst so dearly, 

For Heaven's decree ne'er brooks delay, 
And thou hast passed thus early. 

'Twas hard, indeed, to give thee up, 
E'en for that brighter shore. 

Whose holier joys, shall fill thy cup. 
Than earth e'er held in store. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 35 

Farewell ! my sister ; life has cares 

Too rude for human flowers ; 
Transferred to fairer climes, thy soul 

May bloom in happier bowers. 

A sweet remembrance thou shalt yield 

While hfe to us is given, 
And at its close we trust to meet 

With thee, dear one, in Heaven. 

Tuesday, January i6, 1855. 



ABANDON. 



Give to me the hawthorn's shade 

On a hot and sultry day, 
A novel of some interest 

To read, when down I lay ; 
A brown " Havana roll " to puff, 

A "lucifer" ignited, 
And after all, a good, sound sleep, 

And I shall then be riorhted. 



'^>' 



A. D., 1850. 



36 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



INDOLENCE. 



I was languid and aweary, 

For the da}' was long and hot, 

And though I sought amusement, 
Its resources I had not. 

I had read and read, and pondered, 
Till a stupor filled m}- brain. 

And I sat and read, and wondered 
If I had not best refrain. 

So I jdelded to the promptings. 
And sought a shady nook. 

With the air and sun about me, 
A pencil and a book. 

And to beguile the moments. 
As in silence they went by. 

At some poetic stanzas 

I thought my hand to try. 

So while the breeze was wafting 
Its coolness o'er m}' brow, 

And song-birds trilled their laughter, 
I undertook my vow. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 37 

I framed these simple verses 

As you behold them here, 
Without a special object — 

That seemeth very clear ; 

And if they lack perfection, 

Or energy or wit, 
Or seem to want direction, 

It comes from lack of grit. 

For Summer's heat and indolence 

Deprive us of our powers, 
And this must be my sole defense 

In these oppressive hours. 

Perhaps when Autumn days return^ 

Fresh vigor they ma}^ bring. 
With inspiration that shall burn 

Till loftier strains w^e sing. 

So, fare 3^ou w^ell, for w^e must go, 

A duty to perform : 
The clouds are rising in the west. 

With promise of a storm ; 

And should a cyclone sweep our path. 

It would be ' ' versus ' ' then ; 
So I had better cease, or wrath 

May wrest this scribbling pen. 

Tuesday, June 20, 1893. 

Note.— A storm was actually arising at the time this was being written. 



38 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



DEPARTING SUMMER. 



"The harvest is over, the Summer is ended." 

Now forests wave a long and sad adieu, 

And trembling leaves, in sorrow, seem to sigh, 

Because of thy departure, and alas ! to view, 
Not distant in th}^ train, chill Autumn nigh. 

Thou com est and thou goest like a dream, 

And earth bewails her Summer beauties, flown ; 

While Time moves onward, like a passing stream, 
And seasons vanish, but go not hence alone : 

For man and matter, all that Nature knows, 

Tends to the final goal — Eternit}' ; 
Each li\dng thing a debt to Nature owes. 

Both grreat and small of earth's fraternitv. 



?^' 



Then, wherefore should we sadden at th}- leaving ? 

For thou again ma3'st cheer us with th}' raj'S ; 
But when poor mortals are called hence, no grieving 

Will ever render back departed da3's. 

Note. — Written August 31, 1848; re-written and amended July 28, 1891. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 39 



THE SNOW. 



*' Here we come, and there we go," 
Say the Httle flakes of snow ; 
" Down we fall, at Nature's call. 
Silently or in a squall. 

\* Children greet us, glad to meet us ; 
To their merry cries they treat us ; 
Happy days and gleeful plays, 
Romping in their childish ways." 

They enjoy the snow, at least, 
Coming from the north or east ; 
Coasting here, and gliding there — 
Splendid sport, I do declare. 

See them rolling up a ball — 
Now so large, at first so small ; 
Then, again, they pile it high, 
And to form a man, the}" try. 

And anon they build, in sport. 
What they term a snow}^ fort ; 
Then they rear a monument. 
Till their slender strength is spent. 



40 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

And, at last, too cold for play, 
Cease to revel for the day. 
And, with hasty steps, retire 
Homeward, to the cheerful fire. 

E'en the cold, ungenial snow 
Makes the childish heart to glow ; 
While to those mature in 3^ears 
Its enchantment disappears. 

Deckmber 2, 1893. 



SOME COOE REFEECTIONS ON A GAS FIRE. 



I sit and freeze, I sit and freeze ; 
I shake and shiver, yawn and sneeze ; 
I pray for heat — instead, I freeze ; 
I almost swear — and yet I freeze. 

I long for warmth of sun or breeze. 
And yet I freeze, and yet I freeze ; 
Confound the gas ! I wish I could 
Convert its vapors into wood. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 41 

That genial warmth might cheer my soul, 
And give m}- chattering teeth control ; 
Revivify my powers of life, 
And end this frightful frigid strife. 

But, lo ! a chill pervades mj^ frame, 
With dire forebodings, ill of name. 
Because I'm cold, so ver}^ cold — 
The fire burns low^ — so cold, so cold. 

We pray the powers that be for aid, 
And trust that help be not delayed ; 
We pray for honest, righteous pressure, 
And less of daily scanty m^easure : 

That we through future times remaining 
Shall have less cause for just complaining. 

December 31, 1892. 

THOUGHTS. 



Suggested by the Ever-Thronging Multitude About Fountain Square, 
Cincinnati, Ohio, September 5, ISW. 

Come, thou, wdth me, and see the world go by, 
And mark its phases, while the moments fly ; 
Its ceaseless turmoil and its endless strife, 
To seek a fortune, or sustain a life. 



42 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Like ocean's tides, in constant ebb and flow, 
It surgeth hither, and doth yonder go ; 
Some aim or purpose every act declares, 
And in pursuit, nor toil nor labor spares. 

While hope of gain is urging some along, 
The love of pleasure seemeth full as strong ; 
So all go headlong, as their wills incline. 
To Mammon's altar, or to Folly's shrine. 

■A 

Some speed on foot, and some on flying cars 
Propelled by cables or electric bars ; 
While here and there, and back and forth they rush, 
In one mad conflict and unheeding: crush. 



'& 



Each rising morn beholds the fray begun. 
At dew^y eve it is not w^holly done ; 
So w^e, poor humans, in this restless w^orld. 
Are ever onward and still onward hurled. 

Till our sad lives are w^eary, worn and wan. 
And gladly yielded, that we may be gone : 
For pleasure-seeking and pursuit of gain 
Are disappointing and invite to pain. 

Monday, September io, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 43 



THANKSGIVING OF THE POOR. 



Give thanks — and for what ? For a year of 

hard times ? 
For numberless strikes and for countless crimes ? 
For murder and robbery, arson and theft, 
By graceless scoundrels, whose hands were deft? 

For squalor and poverty, pinching the poor, 
Who cannot keep want away from the door ; 
Whose labor has lessened and wages reduced. 
Good morals degraded, and virtue seduced? 

For law-makers pandering unto the rich, 
And aiding in schemes the gist of which 
Meant millions of mone}' to combine and trust, 
Thus filling their coffers, and pampering lust ? 

For evils like these, and multitudes more, 
We are asked to give thanks and forget to deplore 
The wrongs that we suffer, and crush out the life 
Of the poor and the lowly, in unequal strife. 



44 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Na\', never, we cannot give thanks for our lot, 

So long as the comforts of life we have not ; 

It is all ver}^ well for the rich man to tell 

Of his gold and his gains, in a wa}' that is ' ' swell : ' ' 

But, alas ! w^e have sorrows, and cause to complain 

Of the tyrannous rich and monopolists' reign. 

Sunday, November 25, 1894. 



AIMI.ESS THOUGHTS. 



This is an hour of idleness, 

With scarcely an}^ aim in view ; 

Alone with self can I express 

M3' aimless thoughts to even 3'ou. 

I write that time may swiftl}^ fly — 
However fruitless what I write — 

And therefore will not seek to try 
To make of worth what I indite. 

My thoughts are circumscribed and pent, 
And neither range aloft nor far, 

And if on some high mission sent, 
Would fail to greet the nearest star. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 45 

The}^ could not mingle with the spheres, 
Nor compass all of Nature's laws ; 

Nor gain the triumphs due to years, 
Explain results, or state the cause. 

" Will not some power the ' giftie gie ' us " 
To soar aloft from earthl}^ clods, 

And from our mental shackles free us, 
To think and act the part of gods ? 

Sunday, January 14, 1894. 



SCENES AND REFLECTIONS AT "YEARLY 
MEETING." 



[This Sketch is almost literally true, and is pi'eserved not for any 
literary merit (for it possesses none), but simply as a memento of the 
times. This scene occurred at the old brick meeting-house north of 
the railroad, on Sunday, October 1, 1854.] 

Behold that moving image there — 
That rosy, buxom, country fair ; 
She struts with honest pride of face. 
But sadly lacks the art of grace. 

She proves, at least, her limbs are strong, 
As she divides the 34elding throng ; 
And if her mind is not well stored, 
Her head has freight enough aboard. 



•46 POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 

Its gear is venerably old — 

A sight well worthy to behold ; 

Its plumes and ornaments, once gay, 

Have sadl}^ paled and drooped awa3^ 

Her dress is of a gaudy hue, 
For nothing else, of course, would do ; 
While from her waist a ribbon, fair, 
Floats out upon the breezy air. 

About her neck a strand or two 
Of showy beads attract the view, 
While sundr}' rings, of shining brass, 
Bedeck the fingers of this lass. 

She deems herself the favored belle 
Of home, and neighborhood as well. 
And therefore, as she little cares. 
Assumes some unbecoming airs. 

She talks and laughs, both long and loud, 
Regardless of the gazing crowd, 
And seeks to find her simple beau 
And plighted flame of long ago. 

They meet, at length ; each fond desire 
Has set their willing hearts afire, 
As flushing cheeks and radiant e^'es 
The truth most fullv testifies. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 47 

He bows, and takes the proffered hand 
And clasps it, while they chat and stand, 
Remarking of the num'rous fair, 
Each other's health, and how they were. 

Of standing, weary, they retreat 
To an obscure and vacant seat, 
And hold a conversation there 
Quite worthy of the rustic pair". 

Says he to her, " Be seated, Sue, 
And post me up on all that's new ; 
And tell me, is it true that Harry 
And Belle Grimes intend to marry ? 

And if it would not be as well 
( But then, you know, we mustn't tell ) 
To have our own dear wedding day 
To come about the first of May ? ' ' 

They spoke of this and then of that. 
And held a long and social chat. 
Unconscious of the busy throng 
That passed them heedlessly along. 

With fondest love and seeming haste, 
He twined his arm about her waist. 
And softly whispered in her ear 
Words that only she might hear. 



48 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

At this juncture I retreated. 
Causing me to be defeated 
As a ^vitness of their ways 
And such languishing displa3'S. 

Then, seating me without the throng, 
I pondered, silently and long, 
Bethinking me of changeful life : 
Its varied scenes of love and strife ; 

And how these twain were all untaught 

In all its ways, in act or thought. 

I felt a deep emotion thrill, 

As every heart, responsive, w411, 

Whene'er it sees a verdant pair 
So free, and so devoid of care, 
Confiding in each other's love, 
Not doubting each will faithful prove. 

O ! unsophisticated pair. 
All ignorant of Fashion's rules, 
You have never known the care 
Taught us in its tyrant schools ! 

Ma}' \'ou live and love together, 
Happih', for man}' a year. 
Stemming life's tempestuous w^eather, 
Smiling, spite of toil and tear. 

Sunday, October i, 1854. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 49 



MUSINGS, 



Written while the snow was falling, Sunday, January 18, 1852. 

See liow gently falls the snow, 
Wheeling from its airy height, 

Decking earth and forest-bough 
With its flakes of virgin white. 

Not a scene on earth so cheery 
Ever greets my longing sight — 

Though it be to some so dreary — 
As the snow-flake in its flight. 

Boyish visions float around me, 
As I wander back through time, 

Calling up the sports of childhood — 
Sports of merry winter-time. 

Sleds and skates, and hill-sides sloping, 
Chase of rabbit round the hill : 

Treed and captured — caught at last. 
Yonder by the distant mill. 

Weary many a time, and oft 
Almost frozen, with the sport. 

As we rolled us huge round snow-balls, 
Fashioned men, or snowy fort ; 



50 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Or with skates, upon the surface 
Of some pond or glassy lake, 

Long excursions o'er its bosom — 
Oft returning — we would take ; 

Or, when home-returned, would gather 
Round the hearth at even-tide, 

And wdth song or tale enraptured. 
Cause the hours to swiftly glide. 

Mirth and glee and gladness, all, 
Filled our cups with joy so high 

That when now I think of them. 
They are thought of with a sigh. 

But our boyish days soon leave us, 
And a few years, how they tell : 

We have quit our skates and sledges — 
Bade to childish sports, farewell ; 

And instead of hill-sides, sloping, 

Or the icy surface wide. 
We prefer the stately highway 

And a coach, wherein to ride. 

Thus it is : when youth departs us, 
And the boy becomes a man. 

He discards the sports of childhood, 
In accord with Nature's plan. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 51 



PICTURES OF WINTER. 



Mark jq, how the fleecy snow 
Circles to the world below, 
Mantling hill and plain and glen, 
Hut, or castled haunt, of men. 

See how varied ever}^ form, 
As the flakes, 'mid driving storm, 
Heap their added treasures higher 
Over ground and tree and spire. 

Bounding children hie to school. 
Cheeks aglow, in air so cool, 
Happy in the drifting snow. 
Pealing laughter as they go. 

Hark ! the merry call of bells ! 
How their melod}' up- wells ! 
Cheer-instilling ever}' feeling. 
And such happiness revealing. 

Joyous 3'outh and maiden fair — 
Neither conscious of a care — 
Glide like spirits o'er the snow, 
Whispering something soft and low 



52 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Seated round the glowing fire, 
Mother dear and child and sire, 
Happy, cheerful, loved, and warm. 
Housed secureh^ from the storm. . 

Xow, behold the lot of those — 
Poor, and shelterless from snows, 
Biting frosts and dri\dng rain — 
Doomed to poverty and pain. 

Shun them not — the vagrant poor - 
Open wide the heart and door ; 
Lend them aid, relieve distress : 
'Twill promote your happiness. 

Xor forget that all mankind, 
Whether simple, poor, or blind, 
Are our brothers, sisters, dear, 
Whom we should protect and cheer. 

Kindl)' acts and worth}' deeds 
Are the sowing goodly seeds. 
That maj^ germinate in mold, 
To return a thousand-fold. 



Note. — Written first March 22, 1869, and amended and extended 
January 26. 1893. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 63 



SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR CITY'S 
SERVANTS. 



" A little learning is a dangerous thing," 
And small experience doth its miseries bring ; 
So, little minds who wield official power 
Are petty t\^rants — lordlings of an hour. 

A pompous manner and an owlish air 
Declare the wisdom that they have to spare ; 
They never reason, for they know not how — 
And he that cannot is a fool, I trow. 

Some wield the hammer, and some w^ork in wood ; 
Some deal in spirits, it is understood ; 
And one, at least — the wiliest member, far — 
Doth often ' ' smile ' ' to dedicate the bar. 

A very Nestor, of peculiar kind, 
With wit and cunning to divert the blind, 
He poses leader of this weakling host. 
Whose combined wisdom is a ghastly ghost. 

Yet such as these, whose lack of wisdom's ways 
Will scarcely serve them thro' the Summer days, 
Assume to rule us, with an iron rod. 
And ask obeisance to their beck and nod. 



54 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Such creatures squander what our labor hoards, 
In fruitless journeys and at festal-boards ; 
In new creations of some park or street : 
In waj^s and manners ever indiscreet. 

The people's rights are treated with disdain, 
For haught}' servants, now% the power maintain ; 
Whose countless blunders stamp them heedless 

fools, 
For lack of knowledge taught in common schools. 

One son of Vulcan, with a noisy jaw^, 
Assumes importance, to inspire with awe ; 
While Master Turner, with his swollen head, 
Is so inflated that his wits have fled. 

And e'en '* His Honor," like a chronic curse, 
Is ever scheming to do something worse ; 
A little conscience is a dangerous thing, 
And untaught minds a constant miser}^ bring. 

Ma}' fortune grant that when this rule shall end, 
Some wiser council maj'- our needs attend — 
Men who have brains, ability' and worth, 
And not abortions of isrnoble birth. 



'&' 



Monday, July io, 1893. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 55 



LINES, 



Suggested by the death of an esteemed friend, in a neighboring city. 

Once more we mourn the " loved and lost," 

The friend of earlier da^'s, 
Whose winsome ways and loving heart 

Were themes of constant praise. 

Hers was a soul sincere and true, 

Artless and free from guile, 
Making more happ}^ all she knew. 

With charmed speech and smile. 

No group of friends was e'er complete 

Without her presence there, 
To lend its hallowed influence — sweet 

As incense to the air. 

In later 3'ears, when duty's cares 

Came, as our cares will come, 
She was as sunlight to the home, 

And to complaint was dumb. 

A helping hand was ever hers 

To lend, in times of need — 
No thought of toil such souls deters — 

She was a friend, indeed. 



56 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

And when affliction sore befell, 

And weary days of woe — 
With suffering, only she could tell 

And only she could know — 

It was her last sad trial here, 

Ere rest, eternal, came : 
She bore it with a martyr's cheer. 

She bore it in His name. 

In peace and rest her weary breath, 

lyike sighing zephyrs, fled ; 
She hailed the change — which we call death — 

They tell us. She is dead. 

October 29, 1894. 

Mrs. Lida Johnson died at Indianapolis yesterday, after a prolonged 
Illness. She was a sister-in-law of Calvin R. Johnson, and a daughter 
of the late Benjamin W. Davis. Mrs. Johnson's early home was in 
Richmond, and her acquaintances are many. — October 25, 1894. 



^"^^-^ 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 57 



THE TOILER'S LAMENT. 



Have I been born a life-long slave, 

To labor in the sun — 
To work from morn till dewy eve, 

And still be never done ? 

Can I ne'er have release from toil, 

Or get a rest from care ? 
Must I keep on this tread-mill round, 

And have no time to spare ? 

I have no leisure of ni}' own 

To think or even pra}^ — 
I simply am a slave for bread. 

And have been, day by day. 

I am a thing for others' use, 

To bow at their behest — 
The ser^'ant of some lordling's power, 

Without release or rest. 

Will not the fates increase my store, 
To free me from this 5'oke — 

If not on this, some kindlier shore, 
M}' lot, at last, revoke ? 



58 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Or am I doomed to live a slave, 
To work through storm and sun, 

And toil from morn till dewy eve. 
And still be never done ? 

Saturday, February 3, 1894. 



MARCH. 



"Its fickle fancy ranges, 

And knows of naught but changes." 

To-day it snows, a chill wind blows — 

' Tis Winter in the Spring ; 
The day before we did adore 

The sun's warm shimmering — 

At sixt3^-five (as I'm alive) 
The mercury stood, serene ; 

At twent3^-eight to-day, we state, 
The temperature is seen. 

With changeful strife the times are rife, 
And prone to wa3''ward ways ; 

We love them not, for hard the lot 
Of humans in these da vs. 



March 15, 1893. 



POEldo AXD SKETCHES. 59 



MASTER WII^IvIE MAY. 



Suggested by his photo. 

Ho ! bright little elf, in a duplicate self, 

Thou miniature image of man ; 
Thou copy in photo, thou shadow in toto, 

Thou hindrance to peace and to plan. 

We love thee most dearly, we love thee sincerely, 
Thou restless young creeper and crawler ; 

But when thou wouldst master, we look for disaster, 
For mighty art thou as a squaller. 

A conqueror, truly, and often unruly. 
We sometimes are wholly confounded ; 

Anon thou art playful and civil and, truly. 
Thy goodness of heart is unbounded. 

Thou joy of the household, thou symbol of love, 
And a master of mischief, forsooth. 

We pet thee and spank thee, by turns, little dove, 
For fretfully cutting a tooth. 

February 26, 1894. 



60 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



EARLY SPRING. 



How delightful in Spring, 
When the sun's cheerful rays 

Invite us to wander 

O'er meadows and " braes." 

How elated the soul, 

As we gaze on the scene : 

The earth newly robed 
In a vestment of green ; 

Loudly thrilling their notes 
To the Being of Love, 

Happy warblers unite 

With the plaint of the dove ; 

Little rills, as in gladness. 

Go bounding along, 
Gayly threading the vale 

With a murmuring song ; 

While tiny flowers peep 
From the earth, broken up. 

Exhaling perfume 

From each fairy-like cup. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 61 

Oh ! Who can behold 

Such an Eden as this, 
And feel that the world 

Was not formed for his bliss ? 

A dreamy delight — 

Far beyond my control, 
As I look upon Nature — 

Steals over my soul ! 



Fejbruary, 1852. 



CREATION'S HEIRS. 



There is not anything that God has made 
That should be hidden or should make afraid, 
' Of all the mysteries of all the years. 
In this, our world, or e'en the distant spheres 
For we are His, and His creation ours. 
And all co-workers, whom his bounty dowers. 

We are His children, and our Father He — 
From Him we came and unto Him we flee ; 
Formed in His image, as Himself declares, 
We are His only and Creation's heirs. 

Septkmbe^r 24, 1895. 



62 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A PUBLIC WEDDING AT OLD PEARL STREET 
M. E. CHURCH. 



[The building was an old, one-story frame structure, with two front 
doors — and for many years has been doing duty as a third class dwell- 
ing, on the west side of South Tenth Street, near Main. The contracting 
parties were highly respectable citizens, but for prudential reasons the 
names are not given. He is, however, a wealthy manufacturer, and the 
" best man " a flourishing banker, of Knightstown, in this State. No tickets 
of admission were required in those days, and the performance was open 
to all. The description following is literally true.] 

I sat amid a waiting throng ; 
Silence reigned profound and long ; 
Every optic nerve was strung, 
And auditory fibres rung ; 

While, ever and anon, the shout : 

' ' They come ! They come ! ' ' was heard 

without. 
In gay and glee, a happy pair — 
The bride, the fairest of the "fair — 

Were seen to cross the threshold o'er, 
Succeeded by some couples more. 
They passed adown the spacious aisle 
To meet the parson, who, the while, 

Arose, in sanctimonious mood, 

To meet the groom and ' ' ladie goode. ' ' 

Attendants stood on either side. 

To see the " nuptial knot " was tied. 



FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 63 

When all was o'er, and " Hymen's bands " 
Were linked about their gentle hands, 
They bowed in silence, and withdrew, 
To where no vulgar eyes could view, 

Nor meddling spirits interpose 
Annoyance to the heart's repose. 

Angelic love — most heavenly flame. 
Whose mission is to soothe and tame 
The wildest passions of the breast, 
And calm them into perfect rest — 

Mayst thou fop^ever hold thy sway. 
And never pass from earth away. 



March 3, 1850. 



WHEN LIFE IS YOUNG. 



When life is young, and joys forever new 

Succeed each other in the distant view, 

The fancy pictures images ideal, 

Stamps them perfection and proclaims them real. 

But as we wander on, through weary years. 
Scathed and neglected, and bedewed with tears, 
We, all too soon, shall comprehend the truth 
That fiction mingles in the dreams of youth. 

November 10, 1861. 



64 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A WAIL AT THE WEATHER. 



[ Suggested by the remarkable gloom of March, which was supple- 
mented by severe cold and snow, lasting to the 7th of April, 1891.] 

Sol's genial ray doth oft display 

Its fervor in the Spring, 
But in this year hath lent no cheer, 

Nor kindly offering. 

But clouds, instead, in gloom, have shed 

Their tears, in rainy sadness, 
Till man, distressed, hath been depressed. 

Impatient, unto madness ; 

While Phoebus' car still rides afar. 

And frost and snow prevail, 
And song of bird is rarely heard. 

But chilling winds assail. 

No floral forms yet dare the storms 

That bluster round the world. 
But seek repose beneath the snows. 

With scarce a leaf unfurled ; 

Nor bud of tree, as yet, we see 

Expanded into bloom, 
But seem as dead as life were fled. 

Imprisoned in a tomb. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 65 

We prithee, sun, th}- course to run, 

And shed th}' genial rays, 
So we ma}^ feel not woe, but weal, 

As in the former da5'S ; 

For thou art life, and life were strife 

Without thy influence shed, 
And this fair world, from sunlight hurled, 

Must soon be dark and dead. 



April io, 1891. 



ENIGMA. 



I am seen in the air. 

Though in earth I am not. 
Save " beautiful Erin," 

That "bonnie, bright" spot. 

The Indian's fair bride, 

In her merriest glee, 
Proudly calls me her own 

As I be ! As I be ! 



66 FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 

I have ne'er been in love, 
Though its victim I am, 

Contending for beauty, 
Or bearing the palm. 

But, with the glad victor, 
And in his bright shield, 

I am seen to stand forth 
In the midst of the field. 

I know not the foe. 

But in strife I advance. 

With an arm that is strong. 
And an uplifted lance. 

I am found, it is said, 
With the patriarchs old, 

Immingled with virtues 
That never were told. 

While mistress and maiden 
Each give me a part 

In all their affections, 
And choice of a heart. 

Now, reader, be kindl}^ 
And tell me my name. 

And thou shalt be sharer 
In all of my fame. 

January 9, 1849. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 67 



TO ONE DEPARTED. 



The storm of life is o'er, and death has closed the scene ; 
Remorseless time has rent the viewless chain 
Which coupled earth and old eternity and main, 
And thou art launched upon the dark unseen. 

No mortal eye hath e'er beheld the future, 
And yet, alone, thou goest forth to seek its shores. 
Beware ! Or thy frail bark may founder, and no more 
Return to harbor. Have thou all secure ; 

For we have never kenned what lies beyond the vale, 
Nor will we ever, till the spirit's boundless flight. 
Unloosed from thraldom, doubt and brooding night, 
Hath seen afar some fleet of heavenly sail. 

O ! May' St thou safety reach the shores of that fair 

stream, 
Where joj^s eternal ever shine and loom 
Like noon-day suns, to dissipate the gloom, 
Or stars of promise, 'mid the soul's effulgent gleam. 

May heaven's high King receive thee to His fold, 
And grant thee all the pleasures of the hosts above ; 
Where thou canst praise Him for His boundless love 
And mercies infinite, by mortal tongues untold. 

Sunday, October '22, 1854. 



68 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



RANDOM THOUGHTS, 



Suggested by a thunder-storm, attended with hail and rain, during the 
night of January 28th, 1893. 

'Mid lightning's flash and thunder's crash, 

The hail and rain descended, 
And spread its stormy deluge far, 

As light and darkness blended. 

The snow, which lay for many a day. 

Heaped on the frozen ground, 
In haste departed on its way 

To river and sea and sound. 

Farewell ! and may it not return, 

To chill us with its greeting, 
For its cold presence we shall spurn, 

And shrink from such a meeting. 

We long for Summer's sun again. 

With genial airs of heaven, 
To w^oo, with zephyr's soft refrain, 

The birds and flowers, at even'. 

Happ3", indeed, our lives should be 

Were sunshine never-ending — 
A paradise for thee and me. 

Around the world extending : 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 69 

Where birds are always on the wing, 

And flowers are ever blooming ; 
Where tuneful souls delight to sing, 

And know no cares, consuming. 

Pray Heaven to grant a realm like this — 
Where peace and love are dwelling — 

That we may revel in endless bliss, 
Beyond the power of telling. 



January 28, 1893. 



LINKS TO A BELATED GRASSHOPPER, 



Found stranded on the chilly confines of Autnmn, Wednesday, November 
26, 1890. Mercury 34-, and a very miserable day. 

Pray, Mister Grasshopper, why tarry here? 
The summer is gone, and the winter is near. 
You'd better seek shelter away from the cold. 
Or hie to the South, would 3'OU live to be old. 

The winds from the north will soon silence your 

song. 
And you cannot expect to live here very long ; 
For the frost is a mighty destro3^er of hosts, 
And you insects will all be converted to ghosts. 



70 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

So get 3'ou away, and go hence, where you came, 
If you wdsh to preserve 3^our existence and name. 
We cannot encourage the presence or sta}' 
Of wand' ring intruders, who seek onl}^ prej^ ; 
So take to 3'our wings, and away and awa}^ ! 
And return not again for a vear and a dav I 



THE WORLD A THEATRE. 



Xight's radiant lamps illume 

The firmament on high. 
And earth, the mighty theatre. 

Has for its dome the sky. 

Upon its monster stages . 

All mankind, arrayed 
For ages upon ages. 

Have each their parts displaj'ed. 

Some acts are worth}- of their authors, 

Some are not ; 
The better will survive all time, 

The worse be soon foro^ot. 



£>' 



A. D. 1850. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 71 



TO EVAN WRIGHT, 



Who was a fellow-clerk of the writer's boyhood days, with the dry 
goods firm of Strattan & "Wright, of this city. Mr. Wright was a 
very estimable young man, and died of consumption — the result of 
too close application to business. 



Fare thee well ! departed spirit, 

God to thee has given 
More than all the joys of earth — 

Eternal life in Heaven. 

Troubles more shall ne'er assail, 

Nor pains of sickness ever, 
For thou hast made thy home the sky, 

And earth shall know thee never. 

The angel hosts shall welcome thee, 

High in that holy place, 
Where naught but mercy, truth and love 

And happiness we trace. 

Sin is unknown in that bright sphere, 

And sorrow cometh not ; 
Nor passions, to distract the soul, 

Which are a mortal's lot. 



72 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Then fare thee well ! departed one, 
For God to thee has given 

Far more than all the wealth of earth 
A home with him in Heaven. 

ApRIIv 22, 1849. 



LINKS 



Suggested by a visit to "Forest Home," the country seat of Benjamin and 

Emily Strattan, whose many kindnesses to the writer can 

never be forgotten. 

Old Time's resistless car maj^ speed, 
And crown the world with many a deed. 
Ere we shall all have left this sphere. 
And all the heart holds sacred here. 

Our daj's may reach the utmost span 
Appointed to the 3'ears of man, 
And compass many a round of jo}^ 
Unmixed with aught of care's allo}^ 

But few shall be more bright than this. 
More fraught with hallowed dreams of bliss ; 
Long may our recollections glow 
With memories of this long ago. 

JAXTARY I, 1855. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 73 



TOIL ON. 



Toil on, toil on, for thy life and mine 
Were but idle gifts, were they left supine. 
Then work, and of wealth, to a bounteous store, 
Shall fortune on thee, from her treasur}^ pour. 

And the idle may gaze, in their wonder, at will, 
And envy thy riches, in idleness still ; 
Whilst thou hast laid up, like the provident bee. 
Good store for the winter of life — as we see. 

They, thoughtless and negligent, shrouded in rags. 
Whose tatters shall flaunt in the breeze — filthy flags, 
Fit emblems of beggarly wretches — whose hours 
Were wasted in idleness, earning no dowers. 

Then mock not ni}^ efforts at striving to win 
A name and life's comforts — it is not a sin. 
I'd scorn to be idle — 'tis 'a shame of such dye, 
'Tis alone fitly kin to deceit and a lie. 

Let me labor, while life and ni}' health me are given. 
That when I have passed this sad vale into heaven, 
I may do so all conscious of duty fulfilled, 
As the Maker desisfned and the Master has willed. 



'&' 



January 27, 1856. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A DOGGEREIv ON A DEPARTED CANINE. 



[This poem refers to a favorite terrier, the property of a neighbor, 
who prized him very highly for his many good qualities. The dog became 
domoralized and vicious through the acts of mischievous urchins, who 
would torment him in passing, and who afterward poisoned him.] 

Alas ! and alack ! for the manes of poor Jack ; 

He has gone to his dreamless repose ; 
He peacefully y elided his breath, at his death, 

And surrendered his checks at the close. 

He faithfully served his kind keepers in life, 
Though some of his traits were displeasing ; 

His barking propensities led into strife 
With impish young urchins, for teasing. 

But even poor humans may err, and a cur 

Is surely not better than they ; 

Then why should we stress his few faults, which 

were less 
Than some we commit ev'r}^ day. 

So, a truce to his weakness — at times he had 
meekness 
Quite up to the mark of his betters : 
He was playful and civil, a good-natured 
''divil," 
Sans tricks, or a knowledge of letters. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 75 

Farewell, to his dogship ! His voice never more 
Shall awaken our slumbers at even ; 

But instead, ma}- be heard on Plutonian shores, 
Dog Island, or Mount of Ben Nevin. 

October 21, 1875. 



IMPROMPTU LINES, 



Suggested by an old bonnet, once the property of Mrs. Grace Vansant, 

made in 18:38. and exhibited by the writer at a meeting of the 

Historical Society, held in the new court house. 

Saturday, May 20, 1893. 

Full fift}' years ago in style ; 
Pray do not curl the lip or smile ; 
For she who wore me then, like you. 
Was happy, for my form was new. 

But time, resistlessly as fate, 
Puts all we cherish out of date ; 
And that fair hat ^^ou wear to-day, 
Will scarcely see its fiftieth Ma}-. 

May 20, 1893. 



76 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



TO AN ABSENT BROTHER, 



For some years resident at New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Dear brother, shouldst thou chance to see 
These Hnes — from one you love — 

I ask that thou remember me, 
In palace, hall, or grove. 

Though time and distance sever us, 

The joy may 3^et be ours 
To meet on life's broad stage once more, 

'Mid childhood's vernal bowers. 

Should stern misfortune be thy lot, 

Or sickness, cold, attend. 
Be humble, for Jehovah will, 

In love, the meek befriend. 

Then fare thee well ! m}^ brother dear, 

Till we shall meet again ; 
That health, prosperity, be yours, 

My prayer is — Amen ! 



October, 1847. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 77 



THE CHASE. 



" A little nonsense, now and then, 
Is relished by the best of men." 



Albicore, in wondrous haste, 

Sped awa}^, across the waste ; 

In pursuit w^ent horse and hounds, 

With accelerating bounds ; 

' Alledation being great, 

Each has sought to know his fate. 

Herpetologists are they, 

Yet the}' scarcely dare to sta}', 

But pursue their chase so far 

That fatigue and man}* a scar 

Has unfitted them to go 

Otherwise than sure and slow. 

Pabuhun is what they need. 

Both the rider and the steed ; 

Peonity, to drive ahead, 

Left them less alive than dead. 



[See Webster for definitions.] 

February 20, 1895. 



78 FOmiS AND SKETCHES. 



A SABBATH AFTERNOON IN SUMMER. 



What stillness broods orx all around 
How dead the silence seems ! 

Its depth is fathomless ! no sound 
Is heard, thougrh Nature teems 



'&' 



With life : the Sabbath reigns supreme, 
And sheds its holy influence far 

As Andes' peaks — 'neath sunlight's gleam 
Or distant Alps, or twinkling star. 

Sunday, July 20, 1856. 



A FRAGMENT. 



Dear brother, how often I think of the past. 
And muse o'er the pleasures it brought us ; 

The many fair dreams that we fancied in j^outh, 
And the frost-work of bliss that was wrought us. 

I sigh, when the images dearh' beloved, 
That in childhood so fondly we cherished. 

Arise in my mind, and present to my view 
But a wreck of the hopes that are perished. 

A. D. 1851. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 79 



MUSINGS. 



I sigh to see the changing leaf, 
For Autumn days are here ; 

I sigh to know that Hfe is brief, 
And age is drawing near. 

'Tis sad to know that wintry winds 
Will come at Nature's call ; 

'Tis e'en more sad to know that^Death 
O'er Nature spreads its pall. 

Our lives are all a fleeting show ; 

No lasting joys are given ; 
We dwell amid fair scenes below, 

But soon fond ties are riven. 

The leaf that now is sere, was green, 

In Summer's early time ; 
The aged man we just have seen. 

Was youthful in his prime. 

But soon, alas ! the years go by. 
And soon the 3^oung grow old ; 

For ev'ry living form must die, 
And mingle with the mold. 



80 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Let us so live that when our j^ears 
Have reached hfe's utmost span, 

We ma}' triumphantly^ go hence, 
Obedient to His plan. 

Sunday, September 25, 1892. 



IMPROMPTU LINES TO MARCH. 



Thou art a most unlovely month, 

Whose elemental strife 
iVfflicts us, through the day or night, 

With dire experience rife. 

Sunshine to-da}', to-morrow rain, 
With wind and storm the next, 

Alternate, with their sad refrain, 
Till all mankind are vexed. 

Thank heaven I Th}' race will soon be run. 

Thy iron rule be o'er ; 
And sleet and snow and gloom be done, 

And nature smile once more. 

Thursday, March 26, 1891. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. SI 



TO ONE AT REST. 



M. A. E, 

Thou dear departed, fondly loved — 

For many a year at rest — 
Thy soul long sought its last repose, 

Forever to be blest ; 

Yet, countless times since thou hast gone 

Have I remembered thee : 
B}- night and day, in crowds and lone, 

Thy form has haunted me. 

Thy absence here has left a void 

Which none can ever fill 
As thy deft hand and brain were wont 

When thou wert with us still. 

Thou wert so good and true and kind — 
Thy worth no words can tell : 

Thy even-tempered, noble mind 
None living could excel. 

Thou didst a hallowed influence shed. 

As roses shed perfumes, 
And though th}^ spirit long has fled, 

Its incense ne'er consumes. 



82 POEMS AM) SKETCHES. 

We ofttimes pra}' to be with thee — 
Lone, wandering here below — 

And when, at last, from life set free. 
May we each other know : 

Such is ni}^ earnest, fond desire — 
Naught else could lend such bliss - 

And to that end ni}' hopes aspire, 
In climes more fair than this. 

March io, 1894. 



EARLY AUTUMN. 



How sadh' and mournfully sighs the soft breeze, 
As it lightly disports with the leaves, 

Like one who in sorrow bewaileth a friend — 
The Autumn wind seemingh^ grieves. 

Alas I It ma}' well, for the Summer is gone. 
With its bright sunnj^ face, and its flowers ; 

The garden is changed to a desolate spot, 
Where so often I lingered for hours. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 83 

E'en while I discourse, I can feel the rude blast — 
Which so lately was balmy and bland — 

At first like the delicate touch of a friend, 
Anon like some rude, clutching hand. 

The breeze, which so late seemed a whispering sigh, 

Has passed over valley and hill, 
To return, with the boreal blasts of the North, 

With a breath that is ic}^ and chill. 

Sunday, Skptember io, 1854. 



COULD PRAYERS AVAIL. 



Could prayers avail to hasten Spring, 
And usher in its sunny days — 
Methinks it very long dela3^s — 
I'd leap for jo}^, and shout and sing. 

It seems so chill to see the snow — 
A cold, white mantle on the ground — 
The landscape looks so dreary round ; 
The spirits feel no genial glow. 



84 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Thank Heaven, dela}^ cannot be long — 
The sun seems warmer even now ; 
And folks will soon begin to plow ; 
And birds, in glee, renew their song ; 

The grass grow green, the flowers bloom, 
The trees put forth the budding leaf — 
And may the time be very brief 
When all the air will be perfume. 

Sunday, February i8, 1894. 



THE DAY WE CELEBRATE. 



The glorious Fourth was ushered in 
With rush of rocket, skj^ward sent, 

And cannons' roar, and crackers' din. 

While Babel sounds with those were blent : 

Huzzas and shoutings, born of glee — 

The soulful language of the free. 

The people, in their might, appeared. 
To manifest their joy, once more. 

For Libert}' — whose tree was reared 
By patriots on these happy shores ; 

With joyful hearts, thej^ thus expressed 

How we, through freedom, have been blessed. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 85 

Long may we keep the sacred trust 

To us confided by our sires — 
Whose forms have crumbled into dust, 

But whose brave deeds still prompt these fires ! 
Let each returning natal day 
Find no less fervor and displa}' ! 

And long was kept the revel going. 

Blue lights, and red, that flash and flare, 
Lit all the heavens aflame and glowing, 

While smoke, like incense, filled the air. 
Away ! awa}' I dull care, awa}' I 
Glad millions celebrate to-da}'. 

July 6, 1895. 



MARCH iiTH. 1896, 



Brought the heaviest and mo^^t persistent snow of the season. 

And still and still and still it snows, 

And still and still and still it blows, 

And thus and thus and thus it goes 

In Winter's cheerless time. 



86 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Alas ! alas ! alas ! how cold, 

And bleak and bleak and bleak the wold, 

As I, as I, as I am told. 

In all this North-land clime. 

O, haste ! O, haste ! O, haste ! dear Spring ; 
Come birds, come birds, come birds, and sing- ; 
And Flora, Flora, Flora, bring 

Thy glorious train, to charm the year. 

Shine out, shine out, shine ont, O ! sun, 
Till frost, till frost, till frost be done. 
And light and heat are well begun, 
And longed-for Summer here. 

March ii, 1896. 



PASSING AWAY. 

lyO ! the days pass awa}^, and the seasons decay, 

While the years bear us speedily on, 
Like the tireless waves when the mad ocean raves, 

Which arise and subside, and are gone. 

Our youth, like a dream or a phantom, doth seem 

vSo brief in its glory and bliss, 
For 'tis scarceh' attained imtil bound and enchained 

To some dutv it cannot dismiss. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. S7 

We plod da3' b}' day our life's rugged way, 

With the hope of reward and return, 
Till the joys of desire, with our forces, expire. 

And leave but the ash and the urn. 

All weary and worn, with a spirit forlorn, 

We welcome the earth as a mother : 
Our form 'neath the vSod, and our soul with its God, 

We rest from life's turmoil and pother. 

July 26, 1895. 



I KNOW NO MISANTHROPIC HOURS. 



I know no misanthropic hours — 
I have no hatred for my kind : 

God's love is everywhere, and ours 
Should not be to ourselves confined. 

All men are brothers in this world ; 

All women should be sisters, dear ; 
And over all should be unfurled 

Love's sacred banner, with its cheer. 



88 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Why should we envy those in power ? 

Why should we hate the man of wealth ? 
To him who strives, some honest dower 

May come, by labor, void of stealtli. 

The world is wide enough for all — 
No conflict need arise to me ; 

We should not soar that others fall. 
Nor hamper others' liberty. 

His blessings every soul enjoys, 
Without a stint, or limit given, 

Yet man his fellow-man annoys, 

B}^ evil schemes not born of Heaven. 

Good will, at least, if not great love. 

Is due to ever}^ mortal man : 
It is not much, but Heaven above 

Includes it in her mystic plan. 

Then let not misanthropic hours. 
Nor even moments, thus controlled. 

Subject thee to its evil powers. 

But let love rule — that is pure gold. 

October 14, 1895. 



POEMS AXD SKPJTCIIES. 89 



OLD LETTERS. 



A True Story. 

' ' Old letters, old letters ; lo ! what have we here ? 
A name for each friend and a date for each 3'ear ; 
Old time-eaten records — lo ! how the}^ recall 
The memory of kindred, friend, lover, and all." 

Here is one that was written in ' ' thirty-three ' ' — 
It is 3^ellow with age, as 3'ellow can be ; 
The paper is rough, without sign of a rule, 
And is folded and sealed in the primitive school. 

The modern envelope and stamp were unknown, 
So it had to go forth on its journey alone ; 
The missive was written ten miles away,-'^ 
And posted at Richmond, with little delay. 

The charges were high in the earh- time. 
For postage upon it is marked a dime ; 
Its destiny hence was Yellow Springs, t 
And three da\^s' travel a message brings. 

The times were slow, and the roads were bad. 
And the gift of a letter was rare and glad ; 
The sender thereof, long absent from home, 
Xow writes to a sister for news, to come. 



90 POEMS AM) SKETCHES. 

He says he is loneh', iinhapp}' and " blue," 
Yet his prospects are good, with plenty to do ; 
But somehow a restless condition of mind 
Will afflict him at times, however inclined. 

He declares his intentions, if all goes well. 
To make the acquaintance of some Hoosier belle ; 
With more of the sort, in a gossiping wa}^ 
But little to interest us of to-da}'. 

A letter that follows — of " thirt3'-six " — 
Shows that he yielded to Cupid's tricks ; 
And one, that was dated in " thirtj'-eight," 
Tells how the baby had walked of late. 

Long since, all the parties hereto concerned 
Unto God and His keeping their souls returned ; 
And the bab}- above, in her after life. 
Became to the writer a loving wife. 

Thus Time, on his tireless pinions, doth fly — 
To-day we are here, and to-morrow we die ; 
We act our brief parts as the}' fall to our lot. 
Depart and go hence, to be gone and forgot. 



*Near Abington, Wayne county. 
fVellow Springs, near Springfield, Ohio. 



March 14, 1894. 



POEMS AM) SKETCHES. l»l 



EARLY SPRING. 



Farewell ! Clouds and storms of Winter, 
Spring returning breaks thy chains ; 

Smiling sunbeams loose th}^ fetters, 
And in air dissolves thy reign. 

Sweet and dewy exhalations 

Greet us from the fields around, 

AA''hile the distant forest echoes 
And re-echoes joyous sounds. 

Music made b}^ feathered minstrels -- 
Songsters of the upper air — 

Happy in their vocal praises, 
Free, alike, from toil and care. 

Shrub and floweret rise in gladness ' 
From the teeming mother earth ; 

Cheered b}' ray divine, of Phoebus, 
Nourished by her into birth. 

Praise we then the Gracious Giver 

For his bounties, manifold ; 
Resurrected life rejoiceth, 

That it never groweth old. 



^Iarch, 1S50. 



i>2 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



MY LOVE AND I. 



Just two score 3^ears ago to day — 

It seems not half so long — 
Since we assumed life's wedded wa\'s, 

Happy as birds of song. 

Our lives were fair, and not a cloud 
Obscured the love that shone ; 

A buo5^ant hope our souls endowed, 
For cares were all unknown. 

Thus we set forth on times broad sea, 
Our faith in each was strong ; 

We prayed for health — our onh' plea — 
And that our lives be long. 

Ours was a charming cot and grounds, 
With fruits of various kinds, 

Embowered with vines within its bounds, 
And flowers by heaven designed. 

Our home a joyous Eden seemed, 

Contentment made us blest ; 
Our lives were all we e'er had dreamed, 

Each evening gave us rest. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 93 

Success attended all we did, 

No effort proved in vain ; 
The road to fortune ne'er was hid, 

The way seemed broad and plain. 

Thus year on year went swiftly b}'. 

In labor, love and joy. 
With not a tear, nor e'en a sigh, 

To add to Hfe's alloy. 

At length a direful day arose, 

When all our hopes were high ; 
Ill-health disturbed our fond repose — 

A fiend of evil eye. 

It came as with a stealthy tread, 

Scarcely observed or seen — 
A thief, ill-omened, all may dread — 

My love and self between. 

She was the shining mark it sought, 

And claimed her for its own — 
Such priceless jewel gold ne'er bought- - 

Such blight we ne'er had know^n. 

She sickened, and for man}^ a da}', 

Un-murmuring, bore her woes 
With more than human fortitude. 

Till came at length the close. 



94 POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 

That was a sad and hapless day. 
When she passed hence from hfe. 

Compelled to tread death's cheerless way 
My own dear, cherished wife. 

Since then we oft remember her 

As one long laid to rest : 
A soul too pure for this cold world — 
• Loved, sanctified and blest. 

February 14, 1S95. 



LIXES TO A BUTTERFLY 



Poor little butterfly ! 

So weary and cold ! 
Brief was thy summer's day. 

And soon it was told ! 

The cheer of the sunshine, 
The bloom of the flowers, 

Delight thee no longer, 
In Autumn's chill hours. 

And alas I Nevermore 

Wik thou flit o'er the field; 

Or seek in the rosebud 
The nectar it vields. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 95 

The clover is blighted, 

The wild -flower is dead ; 
The forest is leafless, 

Its beauties are fled. 

But the sheen of thy wings, 

And thy glorious flight. 
Were the regalest things 

That e'er gave me delight. 

And thy memory ever 

We fondly shall cherish — 

A vision of beauty 

That never can perish. 

A spirit of gladness, 

A joy to the heart — 
We quit thee with sadness, 

Forever to part. 

Th}- journey is ended, 

Th}' day-dreams are o'er ; 
Th}' flight is suspended — 

Farewell, evermore I 

'Tis the story, in brief, 

Of the great and the small : 

We all have our day. 

And the end comes to all. 

Note. — Tho aforesaid butterfly had fallen to the walk, beside the 
house, benumbed by the cold, 

XOVEMBER I, 1890. 



96 FOEM^ AXl) SKETCHES. 



WHEN FIRST WE MET. 



Impromptu Lines to Mattie. 

'Tis true I loved thee dearly then, 
But, O ! I love thee better now, 

And trust, supported b}^ His will, 
To keep through life the sacred vow. 

I feel thou art too good for me — 
Deserving more than I can give — 

But if thou wilt but trust in me, 

I'll love and serve thee while w^e live. 

I know no happier hours than those 
Which swiftl}^ sped when at thy side : 

Each moment seemed so fraught with joy. 
For thou hast been my onl}^ pride. 

O I may we long enjoy that bliss — 
The brightest boon to mortals given ; 

That love which springs from kindred hearts 
The utmost wealth this side of Heaven ! 

Fkbruary 19, 1855. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



RETROSPECTION. 



When we remember all — 
The past of by-gone years — 

Fond memory doth recall, 
Our eyes are filled with tears. 

How thoughtless childhood fled, 
With all its cares and joys ; 

The hopes and fears now dead, 
Since we were careless boys. 

How youth advanced apace, 

And aspirations wild 
Took boyish fancies' place, 

And we ignored the child. 

At length, to manhood brought- 
At least so told the years — 

A goal we long had sought. 
Upon life's way appears. 

New duties now devolved 

Upon our manhood's powers ; 

Nor could we be absolved 
Through all its weary hours. 



98 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Life's conflict now was on, 

Its labors had begun ; 
And ere the daj^ was gone, 

A victor}' must be won. 

We strove with faith and pra3'er, 
We labored long and true, 

The world's success to share. 
And crown our hopes anew. 

The end was blest, in part. 

With worldl}' wealth and store ; 

But oh ! alas ! fond heart. 
What disappointments sore ! 

The friends we loved have passed, 
Beyond our mortal ken. 

To peace, at least, at last. 
Out from the homes of men. 

Fond hopes we once enjoyed, 
Of long continued bliss, 

Were blasted or allo3'ed — 
So we the dream dismiss. 

Thus have we wrought and sought ; 

Thus have we lived life's day ; 
Much of our gain was naught. 

Nor do we long to stay. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 99 

A few brief 3^ears of care, 

Spiced with a jo}' or pain. 
And w^e shall sojourn where 

None will return again. 

The morn of life is hope, 

The noon is care and toil ; 
Its eve hath little scope, 

But endeth all turmoil. 



June 13, 1893. 



JUST AS THY NATURE URGES. 



Just as th}' nature urges, weep or smile, 

Yet let not faults nor follies thy true heart beguile ; 

If sunshine enter, let thy soul bestow 

Some marks of favor, lest it quickly go. 

If shadows \ying their way across th}^ path, 
Let sadness hold its sway, instead of wrath ; 
But through all seasons and all coming times, 
May joy-bells cheer thee with their happy chimes. 

February 21, 1893. 



100 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



CRINOLINE. 



We are coming, Flora Flimse}^ 
We are coming right along ; 

We are coming, Flora Flimse}'', 
Full an hundred thousand strong. 

We are coming with a hustle, 
We are coming in great troops ; 

We are coming in a bustle, 

We are coming with our hoops. 

We are coming, dearest Flora, 
We are coming like a storm ; 

We are coming, ver}^ mighty. 
We are coming to reform. 

And you'll be glad to see us — 
With an awful swell and dash — 

For ev'ry sister's soul of us 
Is bound to make a mash. 

The men will all go craz)^ 

When they see us in our skirts ; 

It will make them feel so maz}- — 
We're a joll}' set of flirts. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 101 

We will capture all the women, 

And we'll captivate the men ; 
And when we've captured ever3^thing' 

We'll change the fashion, then. 

But we'll never cease our striving 

After novelties and men, 
Till we convert the masculines 

To Crinolines ao:ain. 



March 2, 1893. 



MEMENTO MORI. 



A Double Acrostic. 

Mysterious, unknown realM — 

Endless and eternal — wE 

Meekly bide our time, till death shall whelM 
Earthly ambition in that world, sublimE, 
No eye of mortal e'er hath seeN. 
The future surely dawns when life is spenT. 
O ! teach us, then. Thy will to dO ; 
Make all our strivings end and aiM 
On Heaven and Thee, to center ; O ! 
Reward our faith, our spirits cheeR, 
In thee to die ^ so Eord, may I. 

Written in 1876. 



102 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



AUTUMNAL MUSINGS. 



When the leaves begin to fall, 

And the chilling winds are wailing, 

Sadness shrouds us like a pall, 
For the Summer's glow is failing. 

Winter's most unwelcome presence 
Follows Autumn's footsteps, fast, 

With a snowy, cheerless mantle, 
Over dying Nature cast. 

Songs of birds and bloom of flowers 
Cease to cheer or charm the world ; 

Silence reigns, and beauty slumbers — 
Happy, gleeful wings are furled. 

Come, O ! come, thou joyous season 
When the earth renews her prime : 

Herald of re-animation — 

Summer's prelude, most sublime ! 

Earth and air with life now teeming. 
Floral forms, in splendor, glow ; 

Nature now — a Heaven, in seeming - 
Makes a Paradise below. 

October 21, 1890. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 103 



THE ROBIN. 



All hail ! fair bird, in russet dressed ! 
Thrice welcome, as our Summer's guest 
Build in thy Northern home a nest. 
And rear thy callow j^oung. 

Thy advent heralds coming Spring ; 
Make glad expectant hearts, and sing, 
Till all the welkin round thee ring. 
And thy glad notes are sung ! 

Thou knowest well the time of flowers — 
When sunshine gladdens all the hours, 
And Nature sheds her gentle showers, 
To vivify the world. 

When forests don their vernal dress, 
The earth sends forth her fruits to bless, 
' Mid sights and sounds of happiness — 
A glorious dream unfurled. 

Who would not be a joyous bird. 
Whose notes of rapture all have heard ? 
A gift on thee alone conferred, 
And Heaven-designed. 



104 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Could I but fly, I'd fly with thee — 
Thou pure, bHthe spirit, wild and free 
O'er all the world, its charms to see, 
Of Xature, art, or mind. 

February 3, 1893. 



TWO TRANSLATIONS 

Of the Following German Stanza. 



" Das meer ist tief, das meer ist weit, 
Doch gehet Gottes Herlichkeit 
Noch tiefer als das meeres grund, 
Noch weiter als das erdenrund." 

The sea is deep, the sea is w4de, 
Yet God's great glor^- doth abide 
Still deeper than the ocean's ground, 
Still farther than earth's utmost bound. 

The sea is deep, the sea is wide, 
Yet God's great glor\' doth abide 
In regions deeper than the sea, 
And farther than earth's boundary. 



July 30, 1889. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 105 



IN THE DAYS WHEN I WENT TIPSYING. 



In the days when I went tipsying — 

A long time ago — 
The bars and taverns were so thick, 

I hadn't far to go. 

And thus I wasted precious time, 
Nor knew how came it so — 

In days when I went tipsying, 
A long time ago. 

I traveled down the paths of sin 

As fast as I could go, 
And soon became a wreckless man — 

As surely you must know. 

I shuffled cards, and played at dice, 
And wandered to and fro ; 

I lost my health, I lost my wealth. 
And gained, instead, but woe. 

My wife, at length, deserted me 
For drinking rum aud wnne ; 

For she, the jewel, nev^er could 
Companion with the swifie. 



106 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

I revelled still, in sottish waj^s, 

With boon companions old, 
Till rags and misery were my lot — 

The gutters and the cold. 

Despised and hated of my kind, 

I had nowhere to go ; 
And often prayed that I might die 

Amid the drifting snow. 

But I reformed — became a man — 
And ceased to drink and revel ; 

And now, that I am sane once more, 
I loathe that liquid devil. 

Note.— The first verse of this song is very old; the remainder was 
built up from it. 

February 25, 1889. 



(UL'^ 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 107 



SOME REFLECTIONS, 



Suggested by the presence of a rose-bush, in full bloom, at the head of 
a grave in Elkhorn cemetery. 

A rose-tree, in its glorious bloom, 
Stood guard above a silent tomb ; 
Its flowers were gay, its leaves were green. 
Its perfume filled the air, serene ; 

And though the year was waning fast. 
And wintry storms must come, at last. 
Its ruby petals, bright and fair. 
Still sought new life from sun and air. 

It was a token love had given — 
A hint of holier jo^^s in Heaven ; 
Its buds were blessings, unawares ; 
Its exhalations, silent prayers ; 
Its thorns were human ills and cares. 

Its brief existence told that we 
Should likewise shortl}' cease to be ; 
That as we lived, so should we die : 
Then let our aims be pure and high. 

Wednesday, November 19, 1890. 



108 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



THE ROSE. 



The Rose, the Rose, the beautiful Rose ! 
The queeiiHest flower of all that grows ! 
A gift of the gods to Ma}^ and June, 
When Nature's charms are all in tune ! 

When Phoebus shines with a ray subdued, 
And birds are bus}^ with nest and brood ; 
When the sky is bright and our hearts are light, 
And the world partakes of Elysian delight ; 

When woods are green and fields are fair, 
And sounds of joy fill all the air. 
And laughing brooks, meandering by. 
Reflect and mirror a cloudless sky. 

Then hail to the Rose, the glorious Rose'! 
The queenliest flower of all that grows ! 
A gift of the gods to Ma}' and June, 
When Nature's charms are all in tune ! 



May 24, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 109 



ARTI.ESSNESS IN ART. 



There is an artlessness in art, 

All women know, 
Which they employ to wound the heart, 

With Cupid's bow\ 

To-day she wreathes herself in smiles. 

To-morrow, frowns ; 
The next, it may be, she beguiles 

With newest gowns ; 

A ringlet or a ribbon, fair, 

From waist or neck ; 
A pin, or charm, a " bang " of hair, 

A " beauty " speck. 

Whatever be the means employed, 

She bears the palm ; 
She rules all nations, and the '' tribes " 

Of "Uncle Sam." 



September i, 1895. 



110 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



LINES 



Suggested by some late rose-buds, on a bush in our front yard. 

A rose-bud strove in vain to bloom. 

The season strove to kill it ; 
And thus it failed to shed perfume, 

For Nature failed to will it. 

November's chilling winds were keen, 
Too keen, its soul to cherish ; 

So, humbly, it was shortly seen 
To bow its head and perish. 

Thus many a human soul has bowed 

Before life's chilling storms. 
And died — from out the thoughtless crowd 

Of striving human forms. 

This world holds dearth of sympathy 

Too charil}^ bestowed ; 
And while some loving hearts there be, 

It has not freely flowed. 

To Him who lets no sparrow fall 

Without His loving care. 
Let all His needy children call — 

To Him direct your prayer. 

November i8, 1892. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. Ill 



SLEEVES, AND HOOPS, AND BUSTLES. 



Thou latest of wonders, O ! feminine sleeve — 
Which fashion prescribes for the fair — 

When will the dear creatures of thee take their leave, 
Some other new foil}- to dare ? 

Thou clearly deformest and makest a fright 

Of those who are patrons of thee : 
However the}^ may in thj^ fullness delight, 

We nothing of beauty can see. 

Some decades ago it was hoops, in extreme, 

With a form so distended, alas ! 
The climax of folh^ was reached, it would seem, 

For scarcely two persons could pass. 

Next followed the bustle — a rearward display — 

Most vulgar contrivance, indeed : 
Which flourished a season, and then passed away, 

As fashion some new fad decreed. 

Thus, weakness and wickedness constanth^ tend 

To display and extravagance, ever : 
The " hoop" and the "bustle," the old " Grecian 
bend," 

With the " sleeve " as the latest endeavor. 



112 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Wh}- not, for a change, sew wings to the back, 
And make the fair creature a bird — 

To seek, in new regions, an untrodden track, 
Far awa}' from all st3'les so absurd ? 

Septe:\iber 14, 1895. 



PASSING AWAY. 



The da3-s, the weeks, the months, the 3'ears, 
Fh^ swiftly, as revolving spheres — 
Or some vast river's restless flow, 
Upon whose bosom hence we go. 

The child to 5'outh, the youth to age. 
Till we attain life's latest stage, 
When mere}', with her mystic wand, 
Conducts us to that unknown land. 

Where all, at last, in death shall sleep, 
Profound and silent, long and deep, 
Xo sound of trump shall break the spell — 
Farewell I 3'e worldh' cares, farewell ! 

Released at last, at rest for a^x, 
We 3'ield this tenement of cla}^, 
And seek a home with Nature's God, 
Where none but spirit forms have trod. 

December 15, 1892. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 113 



MARY HAD A LITTLE DOG. 



A True Story. 

Mary had a little dog ; 

His fleece was black and tan ; 
And ev'rywhere that Mary went. 

He just as sureh^ ran. 

He went with her up town, sometimes ; 

And when she went a-shopping, 
His antics made the people laugh, 

Wherever she was stopping. 

He wore a tiny little bell, 
That made a dainty clatter ; 

And came with such a nervous rush 
That ev'rything w^ould scatter. 

He loved to put the cats to flight, 
And sought them, here and there ; 

But when they scampered out of sight, 
His ' ' bark ' ' was on the air. 

His mistress taught him many tricks, 
To please herself and friends, 

And had him double up like sticks. 
Uniting both his ends. 



114 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

He'd stand upon his hinder legs, 
And thus would strut around, 

And, leaping over Mary's " pegs," 
Would sit upon the ground. 

This little imp would leap, or lie, 
Or run, or roll, or stand ; 

And grin and whine, or feign to die, 
Or bark, at her command. 

He was a cunning little brute 

As ever 3^ou did see — 
He'd nestle down in Mary's lap. 

Or climb upon her knee. 

She prized him for his many pranks - 

So unlike any other ; 
He had no little sisters, dear. 

Nor had he any brother ; 

But Mary, in the fullness of 

Her sympathetic heart. 
Would sa}^ she was his dear mamma, 

Because he was so smart. 

And now^ I've told 3^ou all I know 
About this little creature, 

Except — his master was a man, 
His mistress was his teacher. 

March 20, 1891. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 115 



LINKS 



Suggested by the tolling of the Pearl Street M. E. Church bell, for 

divine service. 

How sadly sweet its echoes float, 
How many a tale 't could tell, 

If t had the power events to note, 
And tongue could speak as well. 

A daily record of our sins, 
And those which are forgiven, 

Might be tolled out upon the air, 
Or wafted up to Heaven. 

Although its tones breathe not in chimes 

A language, realistic. 
They hint to us of fairer climes — 

Supremely grand and m3'stic. 

We pra}' Thee, Lord, that we may be 

More worshipful and lowly ; 
That we, at last, Th}' Face may see — 

Renewed, redeemed and hol3\ 

Then ring out cheeril}^ again — 

Thou dear old Sabbath bell ; 
Far over hill and vale and glen, 

Let thv sweet echoes swell. 



116 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Recall the erring wanderer home, 
To seek the house of praj^er — 

Though far in distant lands he roam — 
That he ma}' worship there. 

For He who grants His blessings here, 
Will, in his boundless love. 

Prepare for all his children, dear, 
A home with Him above. 

Then ring out cheerih' again — 
Thou dear old Sabbath bell ; 

Far over hill and vale and glen, 
The joyful tidings tell. 

Sunday, October 15, 1854. . 



THE RAIN. 



A Protest. 

It is all ver3' plain 
That the rain rains rain, 
In a dull, monotonous, 
And sad refrain. 

The grass may grow, 
And the flowers ma}^ blow. 
But I like not rain. 
With its sad refrain. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 117 

For the sunshine, fair, 
And the balmy air, 
Have a charm for me 
That I feel and see. 

So, away with the rain 
And its sad refrain, 
For it makes me " blue," 
Which is all too true. 

And the world were brighter. 
And our hearts were lighter. 
If the sun shone more 
On this mundane shore. 

So we pray Thee, then — 
Again and again — 
That the sun may shine 
With a light divine. 

For w^e love not rain. 
With its dull refrain — 
Which makes us sad, 
When we should be glad — 
Because of its doleful, 
Dull refrain. 



March 22, 1893. 



118 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A BOYISH DREAM. 



In youth the world's a circus-show, 
And women angels, here below. 



Maiden of majestic mien — 
Robed in modesty, serene — 
Thou art my ideal queen : 
Gentle, and divinely fair ; 
Pure of speech, and culture rare ; 
Goodness beaming from thy face. 
Lends each charm a living grace. 
Artlessness, in every art. 
Of thy nature is a part ; 
With a heart to love inclined -^ 
Tender, loft}", and refined ; 
Dreamy orbs, of limpid blue, 
Mirror Heaven's cerulean hue ; 
Cheeks, with rosy health aglow, 
Show the spirit's happy flow ; 
Ebon locks, and teeth of pearl. 
Make of thee a peerless girl : 
Dignified, and calm as even' — 
Fit for Paradise, or Heaven ! 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 119 

Ma}^ I, then, on bended knee, 
Ask that thou wilt hear my plea ? 
I would be a slave to thee ; 

I would worship at th}^ shrine — 
•Consecrate m}^ life to thine — 
If thou wilt be only mine. 

Only promise this to me, 

And I swear that I will be 

All that thou couldst ask of me. 

Time shall ever prove me true — 
Distant though I be from j^ou — 
Death, alone, the tie shall sever : 
While we live, I '11 love thee ever — 
Aj^e, forever and forever. 

Monday, July 20, 1891. 



MAY 19, r894. 



With bluster, rain and snow, combined, 
And cold, at thirtj^-six, to find 
We are to cheerless thoughts inclined ; 
So, prithee, pass without delay. 
Thou dreary, nineteenth day of May. 



120 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

But yesterday men died of heat, 
While passengers upon the street ; 
The air was wrought to high degrees, 
Which soon became a boreal breeze — 
And now, alas ! we almost freeze ! 

The rose-tree, with its radiant bloom, 
Is cold and chill, amid the gloom ; 
For its dank leaves and shrunken form 
Are martyrs to an Arctic storm ; 

While bird and beast and lordly man 
Suffer alike — as best they can — 
From Nature's all-perverted laws. 
For which w^e can assign no cause. 

More fickle than the ways of men, 
Climatic changes seem ; and then 
If Nature's charms our hearts beguile, 
With balmy breeze, or sunny smile. 
Some disappointment lurks the while. 

Stability has no place here ; 
Each day and week and month and year 
Doth still its various changes bring" — 
To man, and every living thing 
Upon the earth, to which we cling. 

Saturday, May 19, 1894. 

Note.— On the 17th inst. deaths from sunstroke were reported in 
various parts of the country, since which we have had snow, frost, and 
cold weather, to date.— May 31, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 121 



TO E. J. S. 



Think not that I forget, Lizzie, 

Think not that I forget ; 
Though time and distance sever us- 

Think not that I forget. 

I love thee far too well, Lizzie, 
To cease to love thee yet ; 

And while the rose and lily bloom, 
I never shall forget. 

I often muse o'er happy hours 
We spent when e'er we met — 

The happiest of our lives, Lizzie — 
I never shall forget. 

Then think not I forget, Lizzie, 

! think not I forget ; 
Though time and distance sever us, 

1 never can forget. 



January 20, 1848. 



122 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



TO MISS SARAH F- 



On Receiving a Basket of Flowers. 

Dear lad}', may the jo3's of life 
Be thine, through many a 3'ear, 

With countless friends, to cheer thee on 
Th}" pilgrimage, while here. 

May all thy deeds with love be fraught, 

lyife's destin}^ to fill ; 
Fresh hopes renew thee every morn, 

To bear each rising ill. 

May mem'ry's choicest roses bloom, 

Thy pathwa}^ to adorn — 
Still fragrant with life's early dews ; 

Of beauty, all unshorn. 

May flowers, such as thou didst send, 

Receive thy tender care : 
Fit emblems of th5'self , fair one — 

Bright, beautiful, and rare ; 

And lastly, though not least, dear girl, 

Accept ni}' kind regards ; 
And, though they seem but trifling gifts, 

The}' are ni}'- best rewards. 

July 15, 1854. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 123 

AN HUMBLE TRIBUTE 

TO A DEAR, DEPARTED FRIEND, NEIvSON ST ALE Y. 



Thy gentle spirit winged its flight 

To regions in the sky ; 
And dwells with its Creator, there, 

To never, never die. 

Though friends and kindred mourn thy. loss, 

They vainly shall deplore ; 
For thou hast bid adieu to earth. 

And will return no more. 

On California's distant plains — 

Washed by Pacific's wave — 
A gentle mound marks the sad spot 

Where thou hast found a grave. 

Alas ! dear Nelson — many a sigh 

Is heaved for thee, I ween ; 
And many a tear, in silence, steals 

Down beauty's cheeks unseen. 

Full many a heart that beat for thee, 

Still notes its happier hours 
As those which passed when thou wert near, 

And counts them memorv's flowers. 



124 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

E'en now, methinks I hear thy voice — 
Its tones distinct and clear — 

Now rich and deep, in song outpoured ; 
Now sprightly, yet sincere. 

Alas ! that thou didst die so soon — 

So soon from us depart ; 
For all who knew thee loved thee well — 

Thee and thy noble heart. 

But thou hadst numbered all thy 3^ears, 
And couldst no longer stay ; 

For He who rules in wisdom, sent 
And beckoned thee away. 

March 13, 1853. 



TO RACHEL M. A- 



[This is the writer's earliest poetical venture extant.] 

I 've loved thee, dearest, to distraction : 
Loved thy every word and action ; 
Loved thy form and features, fair, 
And loved thy very auburn hair. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 125 

I 've often fancied thee divine ; 
As often fancied thou wert mine, 
And fancied — as I truly might — 
A Hfe with thee were pure dehght. 

Then, dearest, may I hope return 
Of love, that constantly doth burn 
Within a heart that cannot rest 
Until, by thee, 'tis truly blest? 



TO MISS MARY R- 



On Receiving a Bouquet of Flowers. 

Thank thee, kindly lady, fair, 
For thy gift, so choice and rare ; 
And believe it gave me pleasure 
To receive so fair a treasure. 

Roses bright, of various hue, 
Clasping sparkling drops of dew ; 
Fresh, and blushing, from the stem, 
Vieing with the fairest gem — 
Fit for regfal diadem. 



-&' 



June, 1851. 



126 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



IMPROMPTU LINES 



Sent, Avith a Gift Book, to a Little Nine-Year-Old Miss. 

This book, my dear, has " natural gas " 

Pervading all its pages — 
Designed to cheer the heart of youth, 

Whate'er. by chance, the age is. 

So read it o'er, and ponder well 
Its fancies, facts and follies, 

And you, perhaps, may wiser grow, 
While playing with 3^our ' ' dollies. ' * 

A happy_ New Year ! little ^Nell ; 

Ma}^ love and cheer surround 3'ou, 
And nothing worse than joyous mirth 

B'er trouble or confound you ! 

*Xellie Smurr, Brook Haven, Mississippi. 

Tuesday, Dkckmber 25, 1888. 



POEMS ASD SKETCHES. V2\ 

TO OXE WHO LOVED NOT WISELY, BUT 
TOO WELL. 



Sad news, dear friend, of thee I hear. 
While I had fondh' hoped that cheer, 
Such as once dawned and promised fair, 
Would reign, instead those clouds of care. 

For once th}' jo^'ous hopes were 3'oung, 
And none but happy songs were sung : 
And naught was seen of thee, or heard, 
But some familiar note was stirred : 

The soul could lend a willing ear. 
The heart bestow a happy tear, 
And all was joy, delight and pleasure. 
Far beyond belief or measure. 

But, O I how darkling comes the night, 
When disappointment dooms to blight 
The hopes and loves of other years — 
Resolved, at last, to sighs and tears. 

Alas I alas ! ma}* Heaven protect thee, 
Guide and guard thee, and direct thee, 
And, like an absentee from home, 
Return thee- ne'er again to roam. 

March 23, 1852. 



128 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

LINES OX THE DEATH OF A FAVORITE 

CAT. 



Alas ! for poor puss — how I grieve at her death ! 
She departed this hfe 'cause she got out o' breath ; 
I 'm so sorry, yet cannot help thinking that she 
Is far happier now than when sta3dng with me ; 

For the joys that surround her in that feline sphere 
Surpass all her happiest moments while here ; 
And such a rare sport she '11 have — think of it, cats 
What a blissful emotion that — chasing such rats ! 

For there, it is said, they are monsters in size, 
And the taking 's considered a capital prize ; 
May she revel in bliss, 'mid her fond occupation, 
And receive all the credit due, filling her station. 

March 25, 1852. 



APOSTROPHE. 



Eternal powers ! but grant this element of bliss : 
My soul be filled with love for all mankind ; 

That none ma}' know to hate, nor see to fear, 

Th}' humble instrument, who, seeing, yet is blind. 

Sunday, September 24, 1854. 



FOEMS AXD SKETCHES. 129 



SEEKING GOI.D. 



[ Suggested by the discoveiy of gold in California. One of the writer's 

earliest eflforts.] 

El Dorado sands that shine, 
Sparkhng in the secret mine, 
Cheering heart of him who delves 
'Neath the rocks' projecting shelves ; 

Where no day-star, gleaming bright, 
Sheds on him its ample light, 
Giving forth refulgent rays. 
Adding to the golden blaze — 

Say ! hast thou the power to will 
Wealth to him who labors still, 
Toiling in the cheerless earth. 
Where vain treasures take their birth, 

And the nights of ages roll 
Fancied visions o'er his soul, 
Starting dreamy phantoms forth, 
Seemingly of wondrous worth ; 

Rearing airy castles high, 
Pendant 'twixt the earth and sky ; 
Richly decked with treasure o'er, 
Brightly sparkling, evermore? 



130 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Such are dreams of him who delves 
'Neath the rocks' projecting shelves. 
Hast thou, then, the power to will 
Wealth to him, or to fulfill 

All the dreamy visions he 
Fancies are reality ? 
Or to give that soul content — 
On the search of treasure bent — 

Who, expectant, hopes the "powers " 
Will strew o'er him golden showers ? 
Foolish man, to question thus. 
If thou wouldst be of the just. 

Seek for wealth in God, alone — 
At the altar and the throne — , 
Not in metals, nor in stone. 

Vain delusions ! Vile desires ! 
Cease existence ! Quench your fires ! 
Man, too oft, the dupe of dreams. 
Seeks the substance in its gleams. 



*"\ae/'j) 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 131 



STANZAS 



Written during the early " gold fever" in California. 

Adieu ! to the scenes of my childhood ; 

Adieu ! to m}^ kindred and all ; 
I haste to the land of the stranger, 

To rise amid fortune, or fall. 

Hope, kindly beaming, shall guide me. 
On land or on turbulent main ; 

And, as a bright spirit, shall point me 
To fair California's plain. 

When there, amid wealth, I will revel, 
As did Montezumas of old — 

In halls richly furnished with silver, 

And sparkling with gems and with gold. 

Yes, such were my visions at parting, 
But, alas ! disappointment was mine ! 

Then sta}^, honored stranger — believe me ; 
The same cruel fate may be thine. 

December 24, 1848. 



132 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



TO CHRISTIAN RATHFON, 



Who died upon the plains, in an overland journey to Calirornia, in 

18J:9; having started from East Germantown, 

Waj'ne county, Indiana. 

Christian, thou no more art with us ; 

God receive thy spirit ; 
Mayest thou in Heaven rest thee — 

All its joys inherit. 

Now th}^ toilsome journe}^ 's ended, 

Thou wih meet no more 
Friends or kindred, who once loved thee, 

On this mundane shore. 

Far amid the desert fastness. 

In a stranger's land, 
Death o'ertook thee and detained thee, 

At his fell command. 

Golden dreams are vanished now, 

Earthl}^ cares are ended, 
And thy spirit — we may trust — 

To its home ascended. 

August, 1849. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 133 



TO ISAAC KLINE, 



On the Return of His Poem Entitled "Johnson's Vanity of Human 

Wishes." 

Friend Isaac Kline, this book of thine 
Gave me profoundest pleasure ; 

I conned it o'er, admired its lore, 
And found a very treasure. 

Accept my thanks : a kind act ranks 
Far higher than good wishes ; 

The mind needs mental pabulum, 
And this a first-class dish is. 

September 24, 1892. 



IMPROMPTU NONSENSE, 



On Seeing a Cat Upon the Floor. 

The cat can lie upon the floor — 
And thus can lie at will — 

But I can lie upon my feet, 
Walking, or standing still. 



February 28, 1890. 



134 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A NEW YEAR'S GREETING 



To my esteemed friend, William L. John, Esq., in his seventy-ninth year. 

Good native sense, keen wit 

And genial waj^s 
Have won 3'ou friends, and doubtless 

Length of da3^s. 

Ma}^ added yesLVS, with peace 

And plenty, crowned. 
Attend you still, through all 

Life's devious round. 

And should ill-fortune 01 

A foe assail. 
Retrieve the first, and o'er 

The last prevail. 

Sunday, January 7, 1883. 



AVOID EXTREMES. 



Be neither ver}' grave nor ga}'. 
But uniforml}- kind and cheerful ; 

And happiness will ever sta}' 
To dissipate the sad and tearful. 

Sunday, January 25, 1891. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 135 



TO WIIvIvIAM L. JOHN, ESQ., 



On His Eighty-eighth Birthday. 

A helpless, puling infant, 
In a mother's careful arms, 

Nursed to sturdy boyhood, 

By her love and winning charms ; 

Then a self-reliant youth. 

Soon developed to the man — 

As the tree that was a sapling 

Hath fulfilled its Maker's plan — 

A wealth of brawn and muscle, . 

A brain of power and will, 
To conquer native forces, 

Or to wield a trenchant quill. 

Of such endowments Nature, 

Unsparingly, bestowed, 
And well hast thou maintained them, 

Along life's weary road ; 

For thou hast been the victor 
When other men have failed. 

And, like the Roman Lictor, 
Hast often been assailed ; 



136 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

But now art past the zenith 
Of manhood in its prime, 

And lea vest shining records 
Upon the sands of time. 

Thy sun is now decHning, 
And evening shades appear, 

Yet may' St thou still be strengthened 
Through manj^ a month of cheer ; 

May vigor that has lengthened 
Thy 5^ears to eight3'-eight, 

Accord thee full an hundred, 
And not a jot abate. 

So pra3^s a friend that loves thee, 
And long has known thee well, 

And wishes health and happiness, 
But would not sa3^ farewell ! 

SeptkmbER 6, 1893. 



ct^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 137 



THESE ARE WEARY DAYS OF WAITING. 



These are wearj^ da^'s of waiting, 
For the coming of the Spring, 

When the chill shall be abating, 
And the happy birds shall sing ;. 

When the sunlight shall be stronger, 
And the grass begin to grow ; 

When the da3^s at last are longer, 
And evanished all the snow ; 

When the forest trees are decked 
In their robes of leaf}'- green, 

And the ground beneath is flecked 
With the shadows and the sheen ; 

When the flowers begin to rise 
And expand each tin}- cup. 

And, ablushing, ope their eyes 
To the sun that wakes them up ; 

When the butterfly and bee. 
Like ga}^ spirits, haunt the air, 

And the sunshine, like the sea, 
Shall be present ever3^where — ■ 



138 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

O, then we shall be happ}^ 
And rejoice in life renewed ; 

For the earth will seem an Eden, 
And its Giver ver}^ good. 

So, farewell to the Winter, 

With its chilling wdnds and snow ; 

For its frigid seasons freeze us, 
And we gladh^ see it go. 

February 21, 1894. 



WILLIAM PARRY. 



[ A man of most extraordinary will, energy and ability. He was 
mainly instrumental in the construction of the Fort Wayne railroad, 
and was its President for a number of years. Xone of his friends will 
ever forget his hearty greetings, nor the friendly grasp of his powerful 
right hand.] 

Gone hence from the world and its devious ways — 
Alike unconcerned for its censure or praise ; 
Thy wear}^ mortality under the sod. 
And thy spirit at rest in the mansions of God. 

Thou wast manly and upright, a leader of men. 
And hast aided thy fellows, again and again ; 
Th}^ kindly demeanor, thy cheerful address, 
Will long be remembered, to praise and to bless. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 139 

The clasp of thy hand was the ke}' to thy heart — 
The index of feeUng, and absence of art ; 
Neither guile nor deception e'er entered th}' soul, 
And were foreign to thee as the sun to the Pole. 

Direct in th}- speech, unassuming and true, 
Fidelity marked what thy hands had to do ; 
Xo man was more truthful, no friend more sincere — 
Th}' presence was sunshine to all who were near. 

A halo of goodness encircled tM^ brow. 
And th}' heart}' salute I can hear even now — 
A welcome not doubtful to all thou didst know — 
In return we can tender but tears, as the}' flow. 

Farewell ! Xevermore shall we see thee again — 
Th}^ counterpart cannot be found among men : 
Thou wast simph' thyself, to the utmost degree — 
God's S3'mbol of manhood, pure, noble and free. 

April 14, 1894. 



■^F 



140 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



TO WILLIAM L. JOHN. 



Died October 17, JS9(\ Aged ninetj^-one years, one month and eleven days. 

As fruit, at maturity, falls from the tree. 

Because it is mellowed b}' time, 
So thou hast gone out on eternity's sea. 

To abide through the ages sublime. 

Kind Nature accorded thee man}' long 3'ears, 
With a form that was rugged and sound ; 

A mind, in its prime, that encountered few peers, 
And intelligence broad and profound. 

A manly deportment and frankness of speech, 
With a heart that was noble and true, 

Were characteristics of thine which should teach 
The worth of true manhood anew. 

As friend and companion — adviser in need — 
Few" men will be missed more, I trow ; 

A host in th3'self, for a just cause to plead — 
No truckler to crino:e or to bow. 



'&' 



As sturd}' as would be a century's oak, 
Yet as tender at heart as a child ; 

As firm as a rock, should occasion evoke 
Sj^mpathetic and kindh' and mild. 



POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 141 

Thy simple demeanor, devoid of pretense, 
Endeared thee to 3'oung and to old ; 

For modest simplicit}' knows no offense, 
Nor is it intrusive or bold. 

Th}' earh' companions have all gone to rest, 
And thou, likewise, are with us no m^ore, 

But thy name shall be numbered with those who 
are blest — 
On that dreamless and echoless shore. 

Farewell, genial spirit, thy niem'r}* we cherish. 

With all that is noble and just ; 
Remembrance of thee shall still live, and not 
perish 

Till we, too, are laid in the dust. 



TO DR. T. H. DAVIS, 



On the Return of '• Looking Backward," a Reform Novel, by Edward 

Bellamy. 

I thank you for the book, dear sir ; 

Its words seem true and kindly ; 
And now the wa}' is made so clear. 

We need not "go it " blindh'. 

January 29, 1890. 



142 FOEMS AXJD SKETCHES. 



THOUGHTS OF AUTUMN. 



How somber and how sorrowful 

Are Autumn's dreamy days — 
When Nature's Ufe, so beautiful, 

In all its forms, deca3^s ; 

When no more flowers may dare to bloom ; 

When leaves shall fade and fall ; 
When wailing winds proclaim their doom, 

And death o'ertakes them all ; 

When birds, that charmed us with their strains, 

Have hied them far away ; 
When cheerless, chill November rains 

Distress us, da}^ by day ; 

When frost and snow have veiled the earth, 
And hid green fields from sight — 

There seems, indeed, of joy such dearth 
As when hope wings its flight. . 

So those who now are young, grow old — 

The years go swiftly by — 
And life's few" da^-s are soon unrolled, 

For all were born to die. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 143 

Alas ! that life should be so brief, 

Its joys so short and few ; 
That hope so often ends in grief, 

To pass like morning dew. 

October 7, 1895. 



DECEMBER 8, 1894. 



This morning Nature seemed in tears. 

And wept a misty rain ; 
Anon, great floods in torrents fell. 

In soft, melodious strain ; 

For it had long withheld its stores — 

Till earth and air were dry ; 
The springs beneath had ceased to flow, 

And brazen seemed the sky. 

The fountains and the streams had failed 

We neared the awful brink 
Of famine — which the drouth entailed — 

Of aqua pura drink ; 

But Nature — ever kind and true — 

SuppUed our needs at last, 
For which sincerest thanks are due. 

Since danger now is past. 



144 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



THE CURFEW BELL WILL RING TO-NIGHT. 



A word to the boys, and a hint to the " city fathers." 

The curfew bell will ring to-night — 

Boys, heed the call and seek your homes ; 

The streets are schools of shame and blight, 
So do not from your firesides roam. 

Be prompt to heed, be kind and true, 

Appreciate a parent's care. 
Whose love would yield up all for you, 

To shield you from the tempter's snare. 

The shades of night breed wickedness ; 

Then vicious spirits stalk abroad. 
And with their kind, in wantonness. 

Indulge in revelry or fraud. 

The youthful novice launches forth 
To have a * * time ' ' in vile resorts — 

Apt learner he, in crime — though young — 
Fluent of slang and foul retorts. 

TO THE CITY FATHERS. 

To lessen orgies on the street, 

And purge them of the ruihan brood. 

Let light flood all the dark retreats — 
For light no prowler e'er withstood. 



POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 145 

It likewise aids the moral force, 
But danger ever haunts the dark ; 

All crime from light seeks sure divorce, 
To flourish far from Phoebus' spark. 

TO THE BOYS. 

Boys, that 3'ou maj' be doubly safe, 

Desert the cit5''s streets at eve ; 
And shun the doubtful pla}- or cafe, 

For sins of 3'outh cause age to grieve. 

Be circumspect and moral now. 

And keep aloof from evil ways, 
And 3'ou will make good men, I trow, 

Through lengthened 3'ears and happ\' da3'S. 

Farewell, remember what I sa3^ : 
Adopt the good and spurn the bad ; 

The virtues should be sought alwa3'. 
The vices onh' make us sad ; 

Avoid the dark and seek the light ; 

Be ever armed to do the right — 
For worthless bo3's make worthless men, 

Whom no one cares to meet again. 



•■«3' 



November 21, 1896. 



146 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



I HATE THAT DRUM'S DISCORDANT SOUND. 



'* I hate that drum's discordant sound, 
Parading- round and round and round." 
To me it tells of war's alarms, 
And none but baser spirits charms. 

Emplo3^ed to lead the battle's fra}^, 
Inspire demoniac passions' play ; 
Arouse the evil men possess. 
Without one virtue to redress ; 

It is the symbol of revolt, 
The horrid tocsin of assault ; 
The bold and noisy thing displayed 
By politics, when on parade — 

To prove a weaklings' s cause is strong, 
Which must succumb to right ere long. 
It is the shameless trickster's way 
To bolster weakness, by display — 

With deafening noise, parading round, 
To emphasize his cause by sound. 
The stilly depths of thought, below. 
Far better truths assist to know. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 147 

Speech, as silver, silence golden, 
Long was taught in days of olden ; 
Only empty vessels ring — 
Crashing sounds prove not a thing, 

Saturday, September 19, 1896. 



CHARLES H. BURCHENAL. 



Died December 7, 1896. Aged sixty-six years. 

The mild, the scholarlj^, the gentle, 

The genial, intellectual friend — 
Peerless 'mid "brethren" occidental, 

Who did or still Wayne's legal bar attend. 

He was so kind, considerate and loving — 
Aye more — so manly and so true to all : 

To home devoted, from the base removing — 
His gentleness made friends of great and small ; 

Simplicity was wrought in all his being ; 

He knew no art save artlessness in art ; 
The good he ever sought, the evil fleeing — 

His was a soul sincere, and kindly heart. 



148 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

God created him a man, and man he was — 
An honest man — the noblest work of God : 

Upright and contrite, he plead in virtue's cause — 
His soul now fled, he rests beneath the sod. 

Long live his memorj^, for his life was just ; 

His friends were man}^, and they loved him well ; 
He was a man whom all could truly trust ; 

Sweet be his slumbers — and a long farewell. 

Tuesday, December 15, 1896. 



HENRY R. DOWNING. 



For twenty years an undertaker. Died December 15, 1896. Aged 
sixty-five years. 



One more of Nature's noblemen has passed 

To that long sleep, from which no soul returns. 

He wrought faithfully and long, and at the last 
Surrendered life and love, and their concerns. 

His were truly arduous duties, for he led 

Thousands of his fellows to their narrow home ; 
And ofttimes have his sympathetic tears been shed, 
' To witness sundered ties — foreboding sorrows 
yet to come. 



FOEMS AND SKETCHES. .149 

Sad though his calling, he had cheer for many ; 

His friends increased as years were multiplied ; 
Faithful and true, he had few foes, if any ; 

His goodness was a common theme until he died. 

Along the even tenor of his way, 

For many a 3'ear, stern duty kept him at his post ; 
But now, alas ! his friends will never more 

Behold his w^ell-known form amid the busy host. 

Retired from duty and this life's endeavor. 
He has gone hence to seek a dreamless rest, 

Where troubles never come, nor cares, forever — 
In peace supernal, to be always blest. 

December 21, 1896. 



NEVER DO THOU STOOP TO CONQUER. 



Never do thou stoop to conquer — 
Never cringe to mortal man : 

Stand erect, in each endeavor, 
As was God's intent and plan. 

Ne'er abase thyself to any ; 

Fawn not on the proud or rich : 
Be a man, among earth's many, 

Though a delver in the ditch. 



150 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Men are men, however lowly, 
And the lordling is no more ; 

His great goodness made all holy, 
Onl}^ some have less in store. 

Pride, inflated, oft is flaunted 

In a manner most unwise, 
As presuming men have vaunted 

Doubtful virtues to the skies. 

Povert}^ is not a crime — 

Onl}^ evil-doing is ; 
Works alone can make sublime 

Every being known as His. 

Pa3" no tribute — it is weakness — 
Thou canst do thy thinking, free ; 

Thou hast brains and heart and conscience, 
And hast, also, e3'es to see. 

Thou canst make of earth an Eden, 
For thou knowest well the right ; 

Sins are not b}" men forgiven — 
All are equal in His sight. 

See that ever}' act is noble. 

See that every thought is high ; 

Let no carnal deed cause trouble — 
Sooner 3'ield thy breath, and die. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 151 

Ne'er surrender aught of manhood 

To a servile act or deed : 
Such abasement bodes no good, 

Nor can there be any need. 

Never do thou stoop to conquer — 

Never bow the knee to man : 
Stand erect in God's own image — 

Such was His intent and plan. 

Onl)' servile w^eaklings cringe 

In the presence of pretense, 
Who might crawl to touch the fringe 

Swaying from their garments hence. 

God forbid that we should fear 

Any form of mortal mold : 
Self-respect is far too dear, 

And our pride too great and bold. 



December 7, 1896. 



c^- 



POETICAL LETTERS. 



TO CI.AUDIUS BYLES. 



ADDRESS. 

To California haste thee hence, 
And speed to Claudius Byles — 

In Sacramento city, dense — 
And greet my friend with smiles. 



Full oft I've longed to hear from thee- 
Thou dweller on that strand 

Where ' ' old Pacific ' ' rolls its waves, 
And laves its yellow sands. 

Return to me an answer soon, 
And tell me how thou art — 

If all those golden dreams of yore 
Are realized, at heart. 

Thou hast my kind regards, old friend 
May others prove as true — 

May fortune's smiles bestow on thee 
Health, wealth, and beauty, too ! 



March 14, 1855. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 153 



TO S. F. SMURR. 



ADDRESS. 

I wish this sent to S. F. Smurr, 

Brook Haven, Mississippi ; 
And to that end let naught deter — 

Xor flood, nor fire, nor e'en "la grippe." 

It is long since I wrote you, dear friend, and I trust 
To what I ma}' sa}' you will kindly give ear ; 

And, though we lack eloquence, feel that we must 
Conve\" 3'ou our thoughts, which, though crude, are 
sincere. 

We have naught to complain of, and hope this may find 
Both \'ou and your kindred, all, happ\' and well, 

With not a concern or care of the mind — 
A boon that is greater than language can tell. 

The season just past gave us bountiful store — 
Of grasses and grain and of fruitage, the best : 

Quite up to the measures of others of 3^ore, 

And thus the glad heart of the farmer was blest ; 

And 3'et it supplied not all needs, I confess, 

For man}' were idle whose hands were most willing, 

And some of these bordered on want and distress, 
And could not have raised e'en a dime or a shilling ; 



154 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

But such were exceptional cases with us — 
Improvident people will always be found, 

Who are fluent of speech, and freel)^ discuss 

Conditions and things, while themselves are unsound. 

'Tis eas}" to criticise what others do, 

And expatiate largel}^ of cause and effect — 

The tariff that benefits only the few. 

Or a measure that aids all the masses, direct ; 

But never so readily find we a wa}^ 

To right all the evils that wrong has produced. 
For party corruption so long held its swa}^ 

That morals, by money, were often seduced : 

Thus corporate bodies bribed makers of laws, 

And used them as tools, to forward their schemes — 

To the hurt of the people and honesty's cause — 
And duplicate millions beyond their own dreams. 

Extravagance, too, had a hand in the trouble — 
The masses were reckless of living expense. 

And did not foresee how soon the great bubble 
Must surely collapse, for the want of good sense. 

To cap a fool's climax, leader Debs and his dupes 
Made a strike for their rights — as the}^ held them 
to be — 

Destroying some millions, till Government troops 
Compelled their dispersion and caused them to flee. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 155 

The hordes that were povert3^-stricken before 
Are paupers, beyond peradventure, since then : 

Dependent on charity — wanted no more — 

They now are both wretched and desperate men. 

Experience so sad, and a lesson so dear. 

Should teach such, in future, to think for themselves : 
Be led by no leader, but like men appear, 

Instead of stray sheep, who are senseless as elves. 

It is now to be hoped, with the change of affairs 
The recent elections have wrought in the States, 

That — doubly inspired by efforts and prayers — 
We may open to commerce prosperity's gates ; 

But no more to foreigners, low-bred and vile, 
Who seek to find refuge upon our fair shores, 

Nor to anarchist hordes, who assail and defile — 
To these and their allies, we must shut our doors. 

Thank God for the ' ' beacon of hope ' ' which afar 
Gleams out through the haze and the mist of the f ra}' ! 

The sun ma}" 3'et shine, as did Bethlehem's star — 
To cheer and to gladden our hearts on the wa3\ 

So now, fare you well ! Ma}' all blessings be 3'ours : 
May health and prosperity go with you ever — 

The kindness of friends, and a love that endures — 
To last through a life-time of earthl}- endeavor ! 

November 22, 1894. 



156 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



TO MY SISTER. 



addre:ss. 

Nebraska's fruitful plains in view, 
To Brownville next thy way pursue — 
Where fields are green, 'neath vernal sun 
And kindly greet Sue Jameison. 



Dear Sue : — I am sad and feel lonely to-day — 
Half sick and dispirited, I cannot be gaj^ ; 
The weather 's so gloomy, so scowling and cold, 
'Tis enough to cause grumbling, from young and 
from old. 

'Tis the sixteenth of April, and yet we 've no Spring — 
E'en the birds, in their glee, dare not venture to sing. 
How I long for the sunshine, as't steals o'er the hill, 
To dissolve the chill frost-work that seals up the rill ; 

And the warm, gushing rains — like the tears that are 

spent — 
Break forth in their pride, and be joyously spent — 
Giving life, as they fall, in abundance and showers, 
To all of earth's beautiful herbage and flowers ! 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 157 

Dear sister ! may never a care interpose, 

To add one regret to thy life, till it close ; 

Ma}" sorrows ne'er greet thee — like storms, dark and 

dreary — 
^o cause thee to falter in faith, or to weary. 
But, like the gay Spring-time, th}' sun ever smile — 
To banish each doubt, and each sorrow beguile. 

April i6, 1854. 



^^^ 



THE SEASONS. 



JANUARY I, 1893. 



Wet and damp, and dank and chill, 
Pouring rain with might and will ; 
Aiding snows of yesterday 
To dissolve themselves awa}" ; 

Slush and moisture, all around. 
Cover all the frozen ground ; 
Icy walk and slippery path. 
Doth excite pedestrian wrath ; 

While with guarded steps, and slow, 
All in locomotion go — 
Surely, such a cheerless da}^, 
None could ever wish to sta3\ 

" Happy New Year," if \'ou will, 
When the elements are still ; 
But absurd would be the greeting. 
While thus raining, snowing, sleeting. 



January i, 1893. 



POEMS AXD S KETCHES. 159 



FEBRUARY. 



This day is sadly fraught with gloom : 
The sun is absent from my room, 
And all without is like the tomb — 

Dark and dank and cheerless — 
But since 'tis not the " daj^ of doom," 

We may be fearless. 

To-morrow morn new joys may bring, 
And Phoebus' radiant beams may fling 
Athwart the world, and birds ma^^ sing 

To make us cheerful. 
With glee, let all the welkin ring, 

And be not tearful. 

Our lives, at best, are all too sad. 
Cast care aside — strive to be glad. 
And ne'er conform to every " fad," 

But live content ; 
Be true and simple — shun the bad, 

Till life is spent. 



160 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

And if, perchance, we live again, 
We shall go hence, without a stain, 
A prick of conscience or of brain, 

To our reward — 
And thus a blameless life maintain, 

In just accord. 

Existence is a summer's day. 

With here and there a cheerless wa}^ 

Along the path we have to stra}' , 

From morn till eve ; 
So let us live as best we ma}', 

And never grieve. 

But cultivate the better part : 

Let flowers of love bloom in the heart ; 

Excel in ever}^ kindly art 

That brings us peace ; 
Till we, at last, from friends must part. 

At life's surcease. 

February 7, 1894. 



■^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 161 



WINDS OF MARCH. 



I love to hear the winds of March 

Blow lustily and strong ; 
They wake the dormant buds and flowers, 

i\nd herald sun and song. 

I love to hear tumultuous airs 

Wail out, in accents wild ; 
For Nature thus her power declares 

To every human child. 

I love to see the angry clouds 

In stormy billows rise, 
lyike spirits veiled in mist}^ shrouds — 

A wonder and surprise. 

I love to hear the gale, afar. 
Distinct, and loud and clear — 

Like rush of coming, distant car — 
'Tis music in my ear. 

I love to see the swaying trees 

Bow to the driving blast, 
And toss their branches in the breeze. 

Like straws by whirlwinds cast. 



162 POEMS AND SKETCHLS. 

I love to hear old structures creak, 
And see the wreckage fly — 

When winds in sullen voices speak, 
And sweep along the sky. 

A sense of awe pervades me then — 
Magnificent and grand — 

I feel the pun}- works of men 
Can scarce a breath withstand. 

The troubled airs, at His behest, 
Strike terror to our souls ; 

He sends them forth, or puts to rest 
His will, alone, controls. 

February 20, 1893. 



AN APRIL MORN. 



Clouds and storms have passed awaj^, 
And Phoebus gilds the new-born day ; 
The earth is bright, and flowers arise 
And ope to Heaven their dew}' ej'es. 

Across the plain, along the hill, 
And bordering on each gentle rill. 
These gems of beaut}" smile and spring 
Rejoicing ever}- living thing. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 163 

Thrice happy, each expectant heart, 
To see the boding clouds depart ; 
And greet with joy the rising morn. 
Whose beams unnumbered worlds adorn. 



April 25, 1854. 



A MORNING IN MAY. 



Bless the genial sunshine, speed the cheerful ra}" 
Into every human heart — merry month of May. 
Nature's voice is jubilant, brooks and birds are singing; 
Bells, on all the towers 'round, merrily are ringing ; 

Flowe'-s gay and grasses green, everywhere are teeming: 
Why should sad humanity sit in silence, dreaming? 
Be we, then, awake to life, smiling as the flowers — 
Happ3^ as the joyous birds, in their leafy bowers. 

Life, at best, is all too sad ; we should cease repining — 
Look upon the brighter side, while the sun is shining : 
Earth were not so dark a place, if we were but willing 
To admit some rays of light — all its niches filling. 

Let us, then, with cheerfulness — faith and duty 

blending — 
Make of all the rolling year. Summer, never ending. 

May I, 1864. 



164 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



REFLECTIONS 



On a morning in May. 

! how shall I express my fond 
Delight for such a morn as this — 
Whose glories, if protracted to the 
Span of years, would make a 
Paradise of earth ? 

Its soft and 

Mellowing influence sheds calm 
Serenity around, and every 
Sound of Nature seems like 
Music borne upon the breeze ; 
While tuneful warblers pipe aloud 
His praise, rejoicing as they go. 

1 would that life were one 
Perpetual morn like this. My pulse 
Would leap with hope renewed. 
And every sense would thrill, 

As nerved with new^er impulse 
By the gladdening current — 
Bounding, joyous, through a 
Thousand veins. 



May 4, 1854. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 165 



IN THE SUNNY DAYS OF JUNE. 



lu the sunii}' daj-s of June — 
When all Nature is in tune, 

And the elements at rest — 
All the sentiments of life, 
With a sense of jo\^ are rife. 

And we feel that we are blest. 

We inhale the balm}^ air, 

And, with thankfulness, declare 

We should like to live for aye 
For the flowers and the bees, 
x\nd the birds among the trees, 

Seem so happ}' all the da}' . 

The farmer now rejoices. 
And we hear the merr}^ voices 

Of the harvesters afield ; 
While the clover and the grain 
Make obeisance to the plain 

And the sickle, as they yield. 



166 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Soon the binders form the sheaves, 
Till their labor nothing leaves 

But the stubble on the ground ; 
While the rakers toss the ha}^, 
And are happ}' all the da}^, 

Till the vesper bells resound. 

Xot a season lends a charm — 
To the cit\' or the farm — 

Like the cheer}' days of June : 
For all Nature now is bright, 
And existence a delight — 

But it endeth very soon. 

We shall ever thank the Giver 
For the gently flowing river, 

And the woods, and the vales, and the groves 
For the brooks, and the lanes, and the hedges, 
And all His goodly gifts and His pledges, 

And the flowers, and the birds, and their loves 

For we long to sit and muse, 
Or to wander — as we choose — 

By the stream or shady wood, 
Where the shadows and the sun 
Ever mingle into one — 

For it seemeth very good. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 167 

Could we ask a fairer Heaven 
Than to mortal man is given, 

For his dwelHng here below — ■ 
When the perfect days of June, 
And the silver-lighted moon, 

Their fair radiance bestow ? 

Let us render praise forever, 
Till we go beyond the river 

Out of Time — 
When we trust a change from this 
Will be heralded by bliss 

More sublime. 



June io, 1893. 



JULY. 



July, the month of Summer's prime. 
Again resumes its busy time ; 
Scythes tinkle in each grassy dell. 
Where solitude was wont to dwell." 

Such was the story told of yore. 
Which time repeated o'er and o'er : 
For then 'twas true, but now 'tis not, 
For tinkling scythes are all forgot. 



168 FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 

And as for solitude — alas ! 
There's little left in grain or grass — 
July is still the Summer's prime, 
And will continue such through time. 

But when we glean our harvests now, 
We do it at the reaper's prow ; 
And those who bound the sheaves of old. 
Are absent from the harvest fold ; 

The same deft instrument that reaps. 
Now binds the grain and drops in heaps. 
And saves, from labor in the sun, 
The toiler — for his .work is done. 

So, with the grass that clothes the field, 
The swinging scythe the palm must yield 
To newer modes — however loth — 
Which cut in haste a wider swath. 

The men and boj^s and rustic girls — 
With happy hearts and sunny curls — 
No longer rake the fragrant hay, 
And deem the work a merry pla}^ : 

For in their stead machines now toil 
With equine power, their sport to spoil ; 
And jocund songs, at close of day, 
No longer while the hours away. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 169 

Thus, ever, in this world of change, 

UtiHty of wider range 

Supplants the primitive device 

For more of speed — though great the price — 

Regardless of a sacrifice. 



JUI.Y 13, 1893. 



AUGUST. 



The harvest is over, the Summer is ended, 

The season is on the decline ; 
The beaut}'- of bloom and of growth are suspended, 

The grape is matured on the vine ; 

The peach and the apple, the pear and the plum, 

Are now in their glory and prime ; 
The melon is ripe, and the corn is to come. 

With the blushing tomato, in time ; 

The pumpkin is still immature in the field, 

But its da}'^ will be here by and b}', 
When its golden rotundity treasures will 3'ield — 

For Thanksgiving and Christmas pie ; 



170 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

The wealth of the walnut and hickory tree 
Will add to our wonderful store, 

While cider and glee will cause Winter to flee, 
Till its boreal blasts are no more. 

Thus, let us be joll}' — for sadness is foll}^ — 

And merril}^ live as we go ; 
For Nature, in lavish profusion, has given 

Of all that she has to bestow. 

The harvest is over, the Summer is ended. 

The season is on the decline ; 
But ne'er, for a da}^, to forebodings give way, 

Nor e'en for a moment repine. 

x\uGusT 23, 1895. 



AUGUST. 



The Summer's heat is now supreme — 
The solar ra}' s their power declare — 

And Nature all athirst is seen. 

From dearth of moisture, ever}' where. 

The earth is parched, its fountains dr}^ — 
The warbling brooks no longer flow : 

Their cooling draughts the}' now deny 
The lowing herds, where'er the}' go. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 171 

The sheep lie panting in the shade, 

Oppressed with heat, and sleepy-eyed — 

Dreaming, perchance, of cooling glade, 
Or pastures green, some stream beside. 

The birds sit silent in the trees. 

And hushed are all their tuneful lays ; 

No leaf is stirred by passing breeze. 
Through all the sultry Summer's day. 

The corn is languishing afield — 

The shriveled blades attest their need, 

And showers withheld have shrunk the ^deld 
Which Nature's lavish laws decreed. 

The grass — which late was green — is dry, 
While some dead leaves begin to fall ; 

A brazen aspect fills the sk}^, 
And heat and dust are over all. 

Throughout the da}^ the locust sings — 

At even-tide, the katydid ; 
And daylight naught of comfort brings 

Till Phoebus, by the world, is hid : 

Then Nature deigns to grant relief, 

Responsive to our earnest prayers ; 
And for a season — glad, but brief — 

She sends her grateful, soothing airs. 



172 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

In slumbers deep, profoundly blest - — 
Forgetful of the weary da5^s — 

Renewed by rest, we rise with zest, 
To journey on our devious ways ; 

For such is life : its J03-S and strife 
Are blended like the cloud and sun 

A mingled web, with changes rife, 
Of man}^ phases wrought in one. 

August 10, 1893. 



SEPTEMBER. 



Summer Wanes. 

'Tis written on the changing leaf, 
Reflected in the lifeless grass ; 

Declared by absent shock and sheaf, 
As o'er the dusty field we pass ; 

The down}^ peach, so rich and rare. 
The apple, blushing on the bough ; 

The grape, in glorious clusters, fair. 
And melons fit for gods, I trow — 
All tell the year is changing now ; 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 173 

While corn, in tasseled grandeur, stands, 
Adorned with silk-embelUshed ears, 

Whose near maturit}^ commands 

A thought of fleeting da5^s and years. 

We soon shall hear the huskers' call — 
Who gather in the golden grain — 

As Summer merges into Fall, 

Or comes the cold, November rain ; 

Ere long the frost will chill the vine. 

The pumpkin's cherished fruit destroy ; 
And as the season's days decline, 
" The frigid airs will work annoy. 

Thus, from the spring-time of the 3'ear, 
To its voluptuous end and close. 

The changing seasons lend their cheer, 
And lessons to mankind disclose. 

The Spring gives promise, fair and bright, 
The Summer charms us everywhere ; 

While Autumn's gifts the soul delight. 
And Winter's jo3'S relieve our care. 

For all these worldly blessings, given 

With life and peace and health and years, 

Thank Nature's God — who wrought the 
heavens — 
For rest, at last, shall dry our tears. 

September 4, 1893. 



174 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



OCTOBER. 



Lines suggested by a drive through the city park, Sunday, October 16, 1892. 

Magnificent, in its decay, 

Is Nature, surely, now ; 
Such glor}^ crowns these Autumn daj^s. 

Such radiance gilds its brow. 

No pen can picture all its charms, 

No pencil paint its d3"es ; 
To imitate these works of God, 

All human art defies : 

The leafy hosts upon the trees, 

Ten thousand shades display ; 
And as they rustle in the breeze, 

October vies with May. 

Trul}', no earthly scene compares 

With this we now behold ; 
For all the waving forest, wide, 

Seems one vast sea of gold ; 

A fair}' landscape bounds the view, 
Like visions wrought in dreams ; 

The sunlight streams o'er skies of blue, 
And all with glor}- teems. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. lib 

We thank Thee, Lord, for this fair scene, 

Th}^ presence, here, it brings ; 
This Eden types that Heaven of bUss, 

Where dwells the King of Kings. 



NOVEMBER. 



The sky pours rain, in a dull refrain — 
That it means to be wet, is all too plain — 
The clouds hang Ioav, as the}' come and go. 
While the chill air tells of the promised snow ; 

The sad winds moan, and the birds are flown ; 
The dead leaves fall, and around are strown ; 
A misty darkness pervades the air. 
And the sun shines not, out of pure despair. 

Alas ! for the joys of the Summer past — 
The gloom of November is here at last, 
And all we can do is to make the most 
Of what still remains of the dead 3'ear's ghost. 

November i, 1892. 



176 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DECEMBER. 



Cheerless month of frost and storms — 
Fitful, glooni}^, dark and drear — 

Terror dwells in all th}^ forms, 
Monarch of the d3^ing 3'ear. 

Ruthlessl}', th}' chilling breath 

Smites the Summer's pride and glory 

Searing all the fields and woods — 
Telling Nature's saddest story. 

Countless floral forms have bowed 
'Neath the fury of thy blast, 

Seeking, in a snowy shroud, 
Peaceful shelter at the last. 

Not a tendril of the vine, 

Not a leaf of shrub or tree — 

If we dare except the pine — 
But has yielded all to thee. 

Like some tyrant, grim and hoary, 

Heralding his fell decree, 
Thou ordainest death to beaut)', 

As a sacrifice to thee. 



FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 177 

Mercilessly unrelenting, 

And remorselessly, as fate. 
Fall th}^ frigid shafts around us, 

Sparing neither age nor state. 

Would that some mysterious power 
Might consign thee to the Poles — 

Where the airs of ' ' old ^olus ' ' 
Hie them to their gust}^ goals ! 

There, in frigid might to revel, 

In a region drear and wild ; 
Where the avalanche is frowning. 

And ' ' fair Nature ' ' never smiled ; 

Where the poor, untutored savage 

Reigns, sole tenant of the waste ; 
And no perfumed breezes — wafted 

O'er his dusky cheek — are chased. 

Dwellers we in regions mild, 

Warmly welcome and remember 
Summer as a sunny child, 

While we shudder at December ; 

Then, I prithee, sta}^ th}^ bluster ; 

Lull thy raging winds to rest ; 
Loth , thy frosty wrongs w^e suffer — 

Vengeful shafts of thy behest. 



178 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Waft th}' gales to Labrador — 
Where eternal Winter reigns, 

And the sun shall nevermore 
Break its everlasting chains ; 

Regions where the ancient rocks — 
Rent by its intensest sting — 

Sunder, as with earthquake shocks. 
Making hills and valle^^s ring. 

Dkcember 15, 1 86 1. 



LET EVERY TONGUE REJOICE. 



Let every tongue rejoice ! 

Let praise resound aloud ! 
Spring greets us with her voice, 

Dispelling storm and cloud. 

The streams, long fettered, leap 
From crag to crag, and fling 

Their rushing waters deep, 
Their jo}^ acknowledging ; 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 179 

The birds, on leafy bough, 

Or mounting high in air, 
Praise their Creator, now, 

For bounties everywhere ; 

Fair floral forms arise — 

By Phoebus' magic cheered — 
And make a paradise 

Where lately gloom appeared ; 

The garden and the field, 

That late were sere and brown, 

A new enchantment yield — 

Bedecked with Nature's crown ; 

The forest's giant forms — 

Whose coronal of leaves 
Is bowed before the storm. 

Or the blue ether cleaves — 

Attest their thankfulness 

For vernal shower and sun ; 
While through their leafy dress 

Glad, laughing murmurs run. 

All Nature now is rife 

With growth and gleeful sounds, 
And every form of life 

With happinCvSS abounds. 



180 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Then let us not withhold 

Our meed of praise and praj^er, 

For blessings manifold, 

And Heaven's protecting care, 

February 25, 1891. 



SUMMER SALAD. 



Surel}', now, the "dog-star" rages, 

If b}' ardent heat it reign, 
And mercurial upward stages 

Aid in making such things plain. 

Scarce a breeze is put in motion — 
Silence reigns profound and long ; 

And the air, a stagnant ocean, 
Beareth not a sound or song. 

Not a bird upon the branches 
Of a tree or shrub, is seen — 

Neither on the air it launches. 

But has sought some shelter, green ; 

Kine upon the lowlands linger, 
In some shad}^ nook or dell, 

Where — and I might point m}' finger - 
Patience and contentment dwell ; 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 181 

Sheep have sought the shade of fences — 

Panting, sleepy-eyed, at ease — 
Or umbrageous, cool defences. 

Under amply-spreading trees ; 

Swine secure a place to wallow 

In some oozy slough or slum, 
Where content of mind shall follow. 

Which may not to heat succumb ; 

Every creature strives to lessen — 
By some means of its devising — 

Solar ardor, so distressing — 
In a manner oft surprising : 

Human nature, worn and weary — 

Not unlike the bird or beast — 
Seeks seclusion, cool and cheery, 

Dreamil}^ to muse or feast. . 

When the Summer days are over, 

And the torrid term is past, 
We may be rejuvenated 

Back to statu quo, at last. 

Tuesday, August ii, 1891. 



182 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A SUMMER'S DAY. 



MORNING. 

Softly, now, the light of day 
Dawns upon a sleeping world, 

And the darkness fades awa}" 
As its splendors are unfurled ; 

Phoebus, in his golden car, 

Like a rising monarch comes — 

Silentl}^, and from afar — 

Without herald, trump or drums ; 

Joyous sounds are everywhere — 
In the field and in the wood — 

Wafted on the ambient air, 
To the Author of all good ; 

Winged songsters trill their lays, 
And the bee goes humming by ; 

Toiling mortals go their ways, 

While the day-god climbs the sky ; 

Now the world is wide awake 
To its clatter, clang and rush ; 

Let us each some task betake, 
Till the evening brings its hush. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 18'c 

EVENING. 

Homeward, now, let all retire, 

To some blessed haven, near — 
Worthy son and honored sire, 

Seeking comfort, peace and cheer 

When the sun has sunk to rest, 

And the twilight dies awa}^. 
While the moon is still thy guest, 

And the stars reflect the day : 

Seek thou, then, in sweet repose, 
Rest from worldly care and toil ; 

Praying for release from woes, 
Life's contentions and turmoil ; 

Dreams, if any, be the}^ sweet — 

Only such as infants know ; 
Guardian angels guide thy feet — 

Heaven above, and peace below. 

So, may'st thou the hours beguile, 

Happily, till life is done. 
And thy evening, like a smile, 

Beam serene as mornins: sun. 



'& 



Sunday, January 28, 1894. 



184 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



Autumnal leaves are falling fast, 
And soon the chill November blast 
Will hurl them through the gusty air, 
Like things of no concern or care. 

A few days more of genial sun — 

As of a heaven on earth begun ; 

Of dreamy haze, with glories blent — 

Too brief, alas, for our content. 

Since Summer's cherished charms are spent. 

Thus, youthful years merge into age, 
While sober cares our lives engage. 
Till hoary time, with chilling breath, 
Dispels our worldly dreams in death. 

So, whether leaves upon the trees, 
Or creature forms of high degrees, 
They all obey the laws of God ^ — 
Fulfill His purpose : ' ' kiss the rod ' ' — - 
And rest, at last, beneath the sod. 



October 21, 1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 185 



TO WINTER. 



Thy reign is long, and thy bonds are strong, 

And bound are the streams by thy chiUing breath ; 

Th}^ blustering song is a song of wrong — 
The story of famine, and want, and death. 

February 22, 1895. 



^^, 



RELIGIOUS POBMS AND SENTIMENTS. 



O, WHY SHOUIvD WB MOURN? 



O, why should we mourn, or in sadness repine, 
To depart from a world such as this ? — 

Since Heaven so kindl}^ has pointed the way 
To its mansions eternal, in bliss. 

A few kindred spirits, who loved us below, 

Ma}^ mourn our departure awhile, 
But soon such dark shadows will pass from the brow, 

And the tear will be chased by a smile. 

The world will move on as it ever has done, 
With no care for the dead or the morrow ; 

The merry w^ill laugh, and the joyous will sing, 
Regardless of sickness or sorrow. 

Then why should we mourn, or in sadness repine. 
To depart from a world such as this ? — 

Since Heaven so kindly has pointed the way 
To its mansions eternal, in bliss. 

Written in 1850. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 187 



IN I.ENT. 



When faith runs low, and cash is spent, 
Then come the gloomy days of Lent — 
When weak and wicked souls repent. 
And take a rest from sin. 

The faithful have their faults forgiven — 
To smooth the rugged road to Heaven — 
And pray o'ermuch, one day in seven, 
Joy's gates to enter in. 

They now refrain from pleasure's round — 
lyook sober, penitent, profound — 
Nor utter they a happy sound 
For forty days. 

With faces sad and wan with woe. 
They " fast " and pray, and " go it " slow, 
For that the fashion is, you know — 
They think it pays. 

No fellow now can see his girl — 
His faith has made him such a churl — 
Nor can she smile, or kink a curl. 
For. that were awful ; 



188 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

But when the Lenten time is past, 
And lyiberty regained, at last, 
The}' all begin to " go it " fast, 
For then 'tis lawful. 

February i6, 1893. 



AT THE LAST. 



Thank God for the rest that shall come to us w^hen 
The journey of life is accomplished, at last, 

And we have gone out from the dwellings of men. 
And the sorrows and cares of the world have been 
passed. 

We shall sleep a last sleep, in an unbroken spell — 
To continue eternally, down through all time — 

And the soul and the spirit, in silence, shall dwell 
With this temple of dust, in the ages sublime. 

We are born and mature, w^e grow old and we die — 
We sport our brief daj^, in the sunshine of earth ; 

We enjoy and we sorrow, we laugh and we cry 
To the end, as we did on the day of our birth. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 189 

lyike to Gods, we are men with a potency fraught ; 

We are germs of the Deity, noble and high — 
The will of Ahnighty, the essence of thought. 

Alas ! that our frailties compel us to die. 

Blder sages have taught — who professed to be wise — 
That we shall go hence to a haven of love — 

lyocated somewhere up aloft in the skies, 
'Mid fields of Elysian, or worshipful grove ; 

But what can we know of a future estate — 
No mortal has ever returned to us here, 

And what lies beyond not a soul can relate — 
For never did absentee ever appear. 

So when we have passed the dark river of death. 

And the rays have gone out that illumined our .sight, 

We shall yield up this life, as we gasp for a breath. 
While eternity shrouds us in darkness and night. 

If, perchance, there be light from a beacon beyond. 
We gladly shall hail it and seek the bright shore — 

To all its allurements our natures respond, 
And joyfully welcome a life evermore ; 

But as to such knowledge, in truth, we have none — 
We can onl}^ be hopeful or trustful, at best — 

Yet this blest assurance we have, everyone : 

That the end will bring peac€ and an unbroken rest. 

AuGUvST 8, 1893. 



190 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



CHRISTMAS. 



" Christmas comes but once a year," 
And when it comes it brings good cheer, 
Fraught with pleasures all enjoy — 
Innocence without allo3\ 

Life and love, serenel}^ blent, 
Lend the soul a calm content — 
Marking, thus, the great event 
Of Jesus' birth, so wise and good, 
Even then misunderstood. 

A jealous priesthood saw Him tried. 
And under Pilate crucified — 
Since when His teachings, just and pure, 
Are destined, alw^ays, to endure. 

And thus it is, with heartfelt cheer, 
We celebrate from year to 3^ear — 
Happy to know that what is good 
In this, our day, is understood. 

Deckiviber i8, 1893. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 15)1 



THANKSGIVING DAY. 



And this is called Thanksgiving day, 
When people go to church and pray ; 
Dress in their best, like gaudy sinners, 
And gormandize their turkey dinners ; 

Give thanks at morn, on bended knees, 
Return at noon to take their ease — 
Not only feast, but drink extremely, 
Berate their neighbors, act unseemly — 

Then think that they have served the Lord, 

And worshipped Him with one accord. 

In thankfulness for many blessings : 

Plum puddings, pies and cakes and dressings. 

These are the ways of " toney " people, 
Whose place of worship has a steeple ; 
The plainer sort give thanks at lunch, 
In some low den, with beer or punch — 

Where oaths pass current 'mid the revel, 
And each one strives to serve the devil ; 
And in this wise they make display 
Of how w^e spend Thanksgiving day. 



192 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

And thus it goes, with saint and sinner 
Our highest aim is turke}' dinner — 
The da}' is given o'er to riot, 
As we well know, and scarce dem^ it. 

Yet, 'tis the fashion, and we do it, 
However wrong, or long we knew it ; 
We all debauch what should be pure, 
And need a prompt, heroic cure. 

Then let us turn a leaf to-morrow — 
Renewed in grace, sans sin or sorrow — 
Rejoice in what the Lord may give. 
And lovingl}' and justl}^ live. 

Not only thank Him once a year. 
For that ungrateful doth appear ; 
Nor even one day out of seven, 
But daily, render thanks to Heaven. 

November 30, 1893. 



-^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 19J 



RANDOM THOUGHTS. 



We are a puny race of creatures, 
With little range of mental vision ; 

And oft assume the role of teachers, 
When we deserve the world's derision. 

Away with such presumptive folly — 
'Tis but the self-esteem of fools, 

Whose ways are evil and unhol}'", 

Because untaught of wisdom's schools. 

Man's urgent need is common sense, 
To regulate his acts and deeds — 

A love supreme, without pretense, 

And works, instead of forms and creeds. 

Thus, he ma\^ hope to show mankind 
That he is what he seems to be ; 

And not, with dogmas, crude and blind, 
Obscure the little light we see. 

Onward and upward, let us rise. 
From fictions to a truthful goal. 

And by just methods make men wise. 
With loving hearts and loft}^ souls. 



194 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

This is, indeed, a goodly world, 

So far as Nature's God has wrought ; 

But often have His creatures hurled 
His good intentions into naught. 

Wh}- not be men and brothers, all, 

And feel that tie which kindred brings ? — 

The ills of life by love forestall, 
Which out of ever}^ bosom springs. 

Be just and true, that voice obe^^ — 

That still, small voice, within thy breast — 

Love God and man ; and every day, 

Through life and death, shalt thou be blest. 

January 14, 1894. 



AND THIS IS TRUE. 



That man who undertakes to tell me what the 
future holds in store, presumes upon ray ignorance or 
credulit}^ or both ; and as all men know such knowl- 
edge has never been imparted to an}^ human being, he 
ma}^ safely be regarded as an impostor and a fraud. 

September 25, 1890. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 195 



"BE JUST, AND FEAR NOT." 



To be moral men and women, we must live up- 
rightly and deal justly — doing to others as we would 
that they should do unto us. We are always judged 
according to the deeds done, and not according to our 
faith or profession. Hence, it follows that what we do 
is the thing w^hich stamps us good or bad. " Faith 
without works is dead." 

Tuesday, December 6, 1892. 



SOME REFLECTIONS. 



When we attempt to ascend to a higher degree of 
goodness than that prescribed by moralit}^, we are 
wholly out at vSea. The mind cannot grasp the invis- 
ible or the unknowable, or attain to the unattainable. 



A* superstition is a false faith — a belief in improb- 
able or impossible things — the religion of ignorance. 

February 6, 1885. 



196 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



AS I SEE IT. 



I find it impossible to believe that Deity ever 
created human beings in this world that He might 
punish them in a future state ; for, knowing the end 
from the beginning, as an All- wise Being must, such 
an act would be inconsistent with the nature and con- 
duct of a loving, just and merciful God — impossible, 
even, with a human parent. 

That great, first Cause, whose supreme wisdom and 
power created all things, and whose mysterious laws 
sustain a universe of suns — and systems of revolving 
worlds, whose numbers are infinite, and whose extent 
is without bounds — is too great and glorious to be com- 
prehended or understood b}' such puny, finite beings 
as ourselves. Yet reason teaches us (and it is our only 
guide) that, from such an exalted source, good alone 
can flow — onh* love, justice and mercy, to the least, 
as to the o:reatest of His creatures. 



25' 



March 2, 1884. 



¥' 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 197 



JEWEI.S ARE JEHOVAH'S TRUST. 



[ The following poem was written yeai's ago, under the inspiration 
of the author's early teaching.] 

It is written, it is written — 

And its truth all things disclose — 

Jesus is the fount of mercy, 

Yielding balm for human woes. 

Sun and moon and stars attest it ; 

Angels sanction it, above ; 
And the very breezes whisper, 

' ' Jesus is the source of love. ' ' 

Rustling brook and mighty river — 
As they course the earth's domain — 

Praise Him ever and forever, 
Low or loud, in sweet refrain. 

All the universe of matter, 

All the planets, as they roll ; 
Blue ethereal vault of Heaven — 

Boundless as the mighty whole — 

All proclaim Him Lord and Savior, 

Mediator of our race — 
Only source of true redemption, 

Free contributor of grace. 



198 P0E3IS AND SKETCHES. 

Come ye, then, who seek salvation 
In the gospel of our God : 

Worship Him, in truth and spirit — 
Tread the paths His chosen trod. 

Prize not highh' earthh' gifts, 
Nor with Mammon barter gold : 

Heaven's hopes are endless bliss — 
Boundless wealth of love, untold. 

There no selfish miser hoardeth 
Sparkling gems, or yellow dust — 

Such are toys of earthh' children — 
Jewels are Jehovah's trust. 

March 13, 1852. 



JESUS. 

A Triple Acrostic. 

Jesus, Thou Justly honored, grant that I 
Employ ni}' Ev'ry hour in serving TheE ; 
Secure in Such a cause, we well may blesS 
Unequalled, Unexampled love from YoU. 
Surcease from Sin, we ask in our distresS, 
That our sad lives be fraught with happiness. 

December 26, 1896. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 199 



**JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA." 



Written during severe illness. 

"Just as I am, without one plea," 
Gladl}^ I come, dear Lord, to Thee ; 
For I have longed, for man}' a 3'ear, 
To see Thy Face and feel Thy cheer. 

This world is sad and cold, indeed, 
And of Thy presence have I need — • 
I feel that Thou wilt welcome me, 
However lowly I ma}^ be. 

I do not love pretentious fames, 
Where formal superstition reigns ; 
Where Jesus — Mary's Son — is first, 
And God's great Name is scarce -rehearsed ; 

Where pomp and show and organ's peal, 
Magnificence, alone, reveal ; 
Where only pride and wealth abide, 
And poverty cannot preside. 

Lo ! I have lived a simple life. 
Amid the world's turmoil and strife ; 
Have sought to be upright and just, 
And in the right, and Thee, to trust. 



200 POEMS AND SKETCHED. 

I ne'er employ a mask to hide 
My weaknesses, whate'er betide, 
Nor feign to be a saint, when sin 
Has cankered all my soul within. 

Self-righteousness, which long has striven 
To have its own exclusive Heaven, 
May find, at last, that all mankind. 
However vile, or base, or blind, 

Will be as kindl}^ welcomed there 
As multitudes whose trust is prayer ; 
His goodness, like a mantle, wide. 
Will shelter all — protect and guide. 

For God is just — He made us all : 
The rich, the poor, the great and small ; 
And from the first our frailties knew, 
And weaknesses we might pursue. 

No earthly parent, here below. 
Condemns his child to endless woe — 
Much less the Father of our sires 
Consigns mankind to endless fires. 



'O' 



A shame on all such falsehoods taught 
Intelligence well knows 'tis naught 
But relic of some barbarous age, 
A plague-spot on the " sacred page." 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 201 

He giveth all His creatures peace — 
From worldly strife a long surcease — 
Where they shall be forever blest, 
In one eternal, endless rest. 

Friday, February 28, 1896. 



r^h£/3 



ALBUM PIECES. 



TO BEAUTY. 



Wi'itten by request, for Mary B ■. 

There are moments in life 
When the soul, in devotion, 

Has knelt at thy shrine 
In the depth of emotion — 

Confessing how vainly 

It strove 'gainst enrapture, 

While bowed in submission 
And yielding to capture. 

How ardent the feelings : 
The heart over-flowing — 

Its fountains unsealing, 
Its treasures bestowing. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 203 

O ! Who would not give 

All of earth's brightest treasures, 

One moment to live 

Through such transport of pleasures. 

Alas ! that this world, 

With its clouds and its sadness, 
Presents us no more 

Of its sunshine and gladness. 



February, 185 i 



TO MARY MASON. 



Lady, when thou seest this, 

Kindly think of me the while — 

And thou wilt confer a pleasure, 
Even in thy happy smile. 

Surely, thine 's a fairy spirit, 

Light and free and gladsome, ever 

Chasing care awa}', and sadness. 
To return upon us, never. 



204 POEMS AXB SKETCHES. 

Would that I possessed the magic 
That is sparkHng in thine eyes : 

I should vie with lovely Venus, 
Twinkling in the evening skies ; 

I should strive to be the Mistress 
Of a multitude of hearts, 

With no stratagem or weapon 
Save thy artlessness in arts. 

Septkmber, 1853. 



TO GABRIELLA NEWTON, 



Oa the Eve of Her Marriage to Mr. J. B. Hunnicvatt. 

May all the jo3'S of earth be thine, 
And all the fav'ring stars combine 
To swell the volume of thy bliss 
In worlds to come, as well as this. 

May sweet content and rosy health 
Be part of thy domestic wealth. 
And ne'er a care invade th}^ cot, 
But happiness be all thy lot. 



December 7, 1851 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 205 



TO MARY FIXLEY. 



Written on our return from a picnic in the grove near Westville, Ohio. 

The sun is now set, 

And the flowers are wet 

With the dew, w^hich from Heaven descended ; 

And evening appears 

As the coming" of years, 

With night's sable curtain suspended. 

Farewell to the day, 

And to Phoebus' bright raj' ; 

We will seek, in sweet slumber, repose, 

Till the dawn's earl}^ light 

Shall dispel the dark night, 

And Aurora shall smile as the rose. 

^la}' never a care 

To th}^ bosom repair. 

To lessen the jo3's of the hour ; 

But, morning and even, 

Fresh pleasures be given. 

To lighten the clouds that ma}' lower. 

May 20, 1853. 



206 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



TO MARY E. H- 



O ! Mary, believe me, and deem it not strange 
That love is most fickle, and subject to range ; 
lyike the bee on the floweret, he sips and he flies 
To seek some new victim — in gaudy disguise. 

He pierces the delicate bud to its core, 
Then leaves it to pine on the stem, evermore ; 
His sting is the sharpest that mortals may know, 
His pleasures so sweet that no heart can forego. 

A strange, contradictive compound is this love : 
It rules on earth, and it rules us above ; 
It kills or it cures us, it makes sick or well, 
And more than my pen or my fancy can tell. 

Beware, then — O, Mary — of Cupid's sly darts. 
And shield thee against his gay wiles and his arts'; 
For seldom we meet with a heart that is true — 
So fickle and changeful, their number is few. 

March 17, r85i. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 207 



TO MARY ELLEN WARD. 



And thou wouldst have me write, Ella, 

Upon this spotless page ; 
And write thee something eloquent — 

Witty, perchance — or sage. 

But O ! I ne'er possessed the gift 

To charm with lay divine ; 
To sparkle with a read}" wit, 

Or eloquently shine. 

Mine is an humbler muse, by far — 

Unused to loft}- flights — 
Preferring more familiar haunts, 

To fame's untrodden heights. 

Here, then,'s a health to thee, Ella : 

May joy be ever thine. 
And love and hope and faith, for thee, 

A garland, fair, entwine ; 

And friendship — purest, peerless gem - 

Ma}" it be set within it ; 
And thou, and I, and those we love, 

Appreciate and win it. 



208 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Wishing no care may cloud thy brow, 
Nor sorrow dim thine eyes, 

I ask that thou remember me 
While 3^outhful scenes arise. 

January 27, 1853. 



TO KI.MIRA BASSET. 



Aorostic. 



Klmira, friends unknown to thee, 

Long have loved the name thou bearest : 

Many who were fair to see — 

In death now sleeping — once the rarest, 

Radiant gems of life and love — 

All now gathered home above. 

The}^ like thee, were bright and joyous: 
Naught of care had marred their pleasures ; 

Birds of song were not more free — 
Happiness was theirs, the treasures. 

May it likewise be thy lot, 

That, through life's dull round of cares, 
Sorrow — all to thee forgot — 

Ne'er may cross thee unawares. 

February 7, 1850. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 200 



TO REBECCA D. STRATTAN. 



When, in the course of after 3^ears, we shall be 
led to take a retrospective view of life, it will be 
pleasant to revert to early scenes and their associa- 
tions, to home and its endearments, and the thousand 
happy hours we spent beneath its venerable roof. 
Those ties which early bind us to a parent, brother, 
sister, or associate, will be long in breaking, for the 
mind dwells fondly on the past, and reckons all the 
little incidents of youth as golden sands, when, in com- 
parison, we view them and associate their glitter with 
the grosser and less real pleasures of maturer life. 

There also is a sacredness connected with the happi- 
ness of 3'outh which makes the vain attempt to be as 
light of heart and free from care, in after 3^ears, a very 
mocker}^ So I have often thought it must be pleasing 
to review a volume on whose leaves are w^ritten thoughts 
and sentiments of those we cherished as our earl}^ 
friends, and though the}^ be no more, the}' speak a lan- 
guage to our hearts, the memory of which we long 
regret to lose. 

Thus, ma}' it please thee, " Becca," when, in manj' 
a year to come, thou dost peruse these lines, to think 
of me as one who was, at least, thy friend. 

August 28, 1852. 



210 POEMS AX D SKETCHES. 



TO SARAH F- 



The flowers have ceased to bloom, dear friend- 

Their leaflets fall and fade, 
And naught is seen but withered leaves. 

Through all the woodland glade. 

. They tell us of departed Spring, 
Of Summer's changing glow. 
Of Autumn and its somber hues, 
And Winter's chilling snow ; 

They tell us, too, of blighted hopes, 

Which, in the bloom of A^outh, 
Shone brightly as the radiant sun. 

And beautiful as truth. 

But now, alas ! they all are fled — - 
Both faded hopes and flowers — 

And naught is left us but regrets. 
For life's young, dreani}^ hours. 

May we so live that when the close 

Of life's long year is past, 
We all may join the friends we loved, 

Where joys through ages last. 

November io, 1852. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 211 



TO REBECCA MEEK. 



May care never rifle thy cheek of its bloom, 
Nor dim thy bright eye with a tear ; 

But freshness and beauty bloom on to the tomb, 
And love, to thy heart, lend its cheer. 

Written in 1854. 



TO JULIA BRADY. 



As memory often wanders back 

To scenes of yore, I find, alack ! 

How very few, 

Of all we loved, remain to cheer 

Our passage through this mundane sphere. 

From day to day. 

Alas ! the}^ have been called to rest — 
Their dwelling is among the blest. 
Beyond the sky. 

Farewell, old friends — a long adieu ! 
We, too, expect to follow you — 
At least to try. 



212 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

We hope to share that higher bhss — 

That joy unknown to worlds Hke this — 

In peace divine. 

O, w^hat a rapture we shall feel, 

Permitted at His feet to kneel, 

And seek His shrine. 

So, when the summons, dread, is given, 
Ma3^ we be all prepared for Heaven, 
And its repose. 

Then let us dul}- act our parts — 
Perform His will with wiUing hearts — 
Nor shun the close. 

October 21, 1853. 



VALENTINES. 



TO MISS MARGARET McCOY.* 



A Valentine. 

The rose, in its beauty, has charms for the eye, 
And a sweetness, exhaled in perfume — 

Which, sooner or later, must perish and die. 
For brief is its season of bloom. 

So thou, fairest Margaret, beautiful now 
In all that this world can bestow. 

Must also depart, like the roses, I trow. 
Though spotless and pure as the snow\ 

Ma}' never a care that is harsher than zephyr 

E'er ruffle thy delicate form, 
But softly and lightly be fan'ed thy fair brow^ 

Unapproached by life's pitiless storm. 

February 14, 1852. 



*Miss McCoy was the daughter of Daniel McCoy, one of the con- 
tractors for the stone-work of the old National road bridge, at the west 
end of Main street, erected between 1833 and 1835. 



214 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



TO MISS PHCEBE C- 



In reply. 



Lady fair, lad}^ fair, tell me thy name — 
Make thyself known to me, fearless of blame. 
Suspense is unpleasant, and therefore would I, 
By knowing thee better, exchange sigh for sigh. 

Avoid the cold glances w^hich flash from mine een, 
And change them to love and to mildness, serene. 
Perhaps, as 3'OU sa}^, fair enchantress of love, 
If I knew thee, I'd give to thy rival the glove. 

But thou hast none, I trow — I am free from the 

chain — 
And perhaps, if thou strivest, th}^ object ma^^'st 

gain; 
'Tis not beauty, alone, that I madl}^ should prize, 
Nor affectation's arts, nor a love in disguise : 

But simple effusions, direct from the heart — 
Spontaneous, and free from the foibles of art ; 
Ad referendum, I leave it with thee, 
To grant ni}^ request, or be silent, 3'e see. 

February 14, 1851. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 215 



TO REBECCA D. S- 



A Valentine. 

I love the maiden in whose heart 
Nature forms the nobler part, 
And whose feelings gently flow, 
Unrestrained by art or show ; 

In whose happy smile we see 
Kindness and sincerity, 
And in whose expressive eyes 
Earnest thought and feeling lies ; 

One who feels respect is due 
A father and a mother, too, 
And, with due regard and tact. 
Always knows her part to act. 

Such an one I long have known - 
Scarce!}^ daring to confess 
How ni}^ spirit hath been moved 
By her grace and loveliness. 



February 14, 1853. 



216 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



TO MISS REBECCA MEEK. 



Dear " Becca," I meekly suggest it to 3^011 — 
Not wishing that others should know it — 

That if 3'ou incline to dispose of 3'our heart, 
On me 3^ou'll be pleased to bestow^ it. 

I'll tr3" to deserve it as much as I can, 
And love it and cherish it w^ell ; 

So do not be blushing and causing dela3% 
But if 3'OU will do it, pra3^ tell, 
Immediatel3^ 

February 14, 1852. 



TO MISS MARY R- 



Dear Mar3', remember, 'tis Valentine day, 
And leap-3'ear, forsooth, is at hand ; 

An' if 3^e'll displa3' half 3'er charms as 3'e may. 
We will do as 3"e please to command. 

I ne'er knew a " lass3" " was handsome as 3"ez, 
Without half a dozen spruce beaux 

From whom to select, with the greatest of ease, 
A partner — at least if she chose. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 217 

Then doff the fantastical airs of yer sex — 

Be " naturl " an' " aisy " an' free; 
And when a young " gintleman " " axes " ye nex', 

Just answer affirmatively — 

Say yes. 

Fkbruary 14, 1852. 



Local Historical Sketches. 



LOCAL HISTORICAL SKHTCHES. 



PAPER NO. 1. 

©N the 9th day of December, 1847, the writer 
hereof first set foot within the precincts of 
this fair city, and here he has ever since remained. 
It was then a mere village of some 2,500 inhabitants, 
acknowledging John Saylor as its chief executive and 
head. Elected, first, in 1845, he continued in office 
until 1852, when he was succeeded by the late John 
Finley, Esq.. 

At that somewhat distant period the Friends, or 
Quakers, as they were commonly called, exercised a 
very marked influence over the society about them, 
their numbers being much greater then than now, in 
proportion to population. They were a thrifty, honest, 
intelligent people, possessed of many virtues, while 
their wives and daughters were the peers of any in the 
land. As a people, however, they were rather non- 
progressive, and lacking in that spirit of worldly enter- 
prise so remarkably manifest at the present day. The}^ 
were very tenacious of their religious opinions, and 
rigid in regard to their teachings and observances. To 
one not of their faith and unaccustomed to their modes 



222 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

of thought, or manner of hfe, there seemed an ever- 
present feeling of restraint and repression — a sort of 
mental and physical embargo, by no means congenial 
to liberty of speech and action. Mirth fulness was 
rarel}^ encouraged, and, if indulged in, was quiet and 
subdued ; while demonstrations of gayet}^ were rare 
and guarded. Speech was as silver, but silence was 
golden. The brilliant hues of beautiful flowers, and 
the happy, gleeful songs of birds, seemed inappropriate 
to their surroundings. Instrumental and vocal music 
were but little understood or cultivated b}' the people 
of the time, and b}^ members of t/ieir Societ}^ in no 
degree whatever. Such practices were regarded as 
sinful and as unbecoming the dignit)^ gravit}" and 
soberness of that peculiar people. Their speech and 
attire were alike of the plainest kind, and every color 
worn was in harmony with both. Under the shadow 
of their influence even pastors of other denominations 
discouraged the wearing of ga}^ colors. Broad -brimmed 
hats and plain silk bonnets, wholly unadorned, were 
ever3^where to be seen. A bearded face was the merest 
exception to a general rule, and w^as not unfrequently 
the subject of comment and criticism, while the unfor- 
tunate moustache was held in still greater disfavor, as 
its wearer was supposed to be of that class whose ways 
are dark and whose deeds are evil. 

The good people of the village were generally dis- 
tinguished for simplicit}' of habits and manners, but 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 223 

little effort was made in the direction of personal adorn- 
ment or display. We distinctl}^ remember that eight 
yards of material constituted a pattern for a lady's 
dress, and sometimes even less would serve ; but times 
have changed — both larger views and ampler garments 
now hold sway. We remember, also, that the female 
head-gear did not then consist of those indescribable 
nondescripts now so fearfully and wonderfully formed, 
but simply, and in fact, of hat or bonnet, severely 
plain — sajis fuss or feathers. The folly and extrav- 
agance of display and dress came by degrees, and were 
the result of increased wealth, the w^ar, and foreign 
innovation. 

At that da}^ good boarding could be had for $1.50 
per week, and the hire of a horse and buggy was but 
$1.25 per day. We had neither railroads nor turn- 
pikes (excepting one to Boston), while gas and electric 
lights, telephones and telegraphs were, as yet, of the 
things to come. But a ' ' coach and four ' ' used to 
carr}^ the mail for " Uncle Sam," and the few unlucky 
passengers, whose business or necessities required them 
to be abroad in the land. Cattle, hogs and sheep were 
then driven by thousands, along the National road, on 
their way to some eastern market. The surplus pro- 
ducts of the country commanded but a nominal price : 
hauling by wagon was too expensive, and our present 
facilities for transportation were not yet in existence. 
At that time all the business of the village was trans- 



224 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

acted on the three squares of Main street lying between 
Fourth and Seventh, that between Fourth and Fifth 
doing much the greater part. No mercantile business 
whatever was done anywhere off Main street. 

A shabb}' old market-house stood in the middle of 
South Fourth street, about 150 3'ards from Main. On 
the present site of Reed & Vanneman's business block, 
corner of Noble and Fifth streets, and nearly opposite 
the west end of the passenger depot, was located Ken- 
worth3^'s tanner}', the onl}^ structure in that vicinity. 
Where the passenger depot now stands, with its imme- 
diate surroundings, was an inclosed field, and on the 
west front of it was the ''Quaker walk" leading to 
Friends' Orthodox Meeting-house — a large, plain, 
two-storied brick structure, erected in 1823. The walk 
referred to was parti}' planked, and separated from the 
main road by a row of posts. The writer distinctly 
remembers seeing a horse and buggy, with two occu- 
pants, stick fast in the mud in front of where stands 
the " Avenue House " — immediately north of the rail- 
road crossing, on the west side. 

The brick business block now occup3dng the east 
side of Fort Wayne Avenue and covering a full square 
in length, and forming something of a triangle, stands 
upon "made ground," formerly a stagnant pool — 
whence came, in Spring-time, the doleful music of the 
frog. This was then the propert}' of Charles W. 
Starr, by whom it is said to have been offered for a few 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 225 

hundred dollars, without finding a purchaser. On one 
occasion, the writer remembers, water was procured 
from this source to extinguish a neighboring fire. 
The old "Starr House," subsequently known as the 
" Meredith" and " Tremont," corner of Eighth and 
Main, was considered " away out of town," and even 
the Huntington House was thought to be inconven- 
iently far from business. An old mile-stone used to 
stand on the north side of Main street, between Tenth 
and Eleventh, marked "One-Half Mile to Richmond." 
Between Seventh and Tenth streets there were but few 
buildings, and Ninth street had, as yet, no existence. 
All east was either orchard, open field, or wood. 

Basil Brightwell, Benjamin Strattan, Thaddeus 
Wright, Jesse Meek, John Haines, William Blanchard, 
John M. Laws, William S. Watt, Wilhani Petchell, 
and Ralph A. Paige w^ere our dry goods dealers, not 
one of whom is in the business at the present day, 
and only two of the ten survive, to answer to their 
names, to- wit : Wright and vStrattan. Their com- 
panions have all gone hence, where barter and 
exchange are unknown and the wear}^ are at rest. 

Although not in business here at the time to which 
these papers refer, Daniel B. Crawford was, neverthe- 
less, a citizen of this vicinity for years before ; and 
from 1850 until 1896 — when he retired — has been a 
leading and prosperous dry goods merchant in our 
midst, and still survives, being nearly ninet}' years 



226 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

of age. He has also been identified with various 
other interests of the cit}^ and count}^, both secular and 
religious, until his name has become as familiar as 
household words. 

Messrs. Fletcher & Benton first sold hardware, on 
the southeast corner of Fourth and Main, afterwards 
known as "Nestor's corner," now Eggemeyer's, and 
east of the court-house. Subsequently, Thomas Benton 
alone engaged in the business, in an old brick building, 
corner Fifth and Main. 

A single member of the old Wiggins firm — Charles 
O. — with some added juniors, until lately held 
forth at the same old stand as in days of 3^ore. 
William L. Brady was also a pioneer, and for many 
3'ears successfuU}^ engaged in the harness trade. 
Samuel and William L^'nde will be remembered as 
among our principal grocers ; neither must we omit 
Elijah Githens, in the same branch of trade. The 
former long did business where George W. Barnes, for 
so man}^ years, dispensed his excellent family supplies, 
and where Joseph A. Knabe lateh' catered to the 
public wants. 

The drug business was in the hands of Messrs. 
George Doxe}', Irvin Reed and Dr. Joseph Howels, 
the former of whom died here during the prevalence 
of the cholera, in 1849 or 1850, and the latter, 
recently, in California ; while Mr. Irvin Reed, for 
man}' years subsequently, dealt in hardware, on the 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 227 

southwest corner of Seventh and Main. He, too, died 
some four years since. To him had been vouch- 
safed the most extended business career, in point of 
time, accorded an}^ member of this community, cov- 
ering a period of sixty years, and crowned with ample 
success. These gentlemen were succeeded by Dr. James 
R. Mendenhall, John T. Plummer and Lewis H. McCul- 
lough, each of whom continued in the business some 
3^ears. 

Hon. David P. Hollowaj^, for many 3^ears past a 
resident of Washington Cit}' — who also died some 
dozen 3'ears ago — was in the book trade at the time of 
m3' advent to the village, and was located in an old 
frame building on the south side of West Main street, 
near the corner of Fourth. Dr. J. R. Mendenhall 
soon after became his succes.sor ; and our former Cit3^ 
Civil Engineer, Hon. Oliver Butler, was his business 
manager for 3'ears. 

Your humble servant, the writer, first greeted the 
public here in the capacit3" of salesman for Strattan & 
Wright, whom he faithfulh' served for five long 3'ears, 
for the meager salar3' of $15 per month and board, 
saving therefrom, b3' the strictest econom3^, his first 
$500 — a result utterU^ out of the question in these 
times of increased values and . multiplied temptations, 
from no greater pa3'. 

It was m3' good fortune to find a home in the family 
of " Uncle " James and " Grand-mother " Hunnicutt, 



228 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

who kept the onh' boarding house of the time, which 
was quite Uberally patronized — as well it might be, 
when we remember that the}- charged but a dollar and 
a quarter per week for board. Their house was head- 
quarters for many old-time Friends, during Yearly 
Meeting. The}' were, most truly, a kindly old couple, 
called hence this man3'-a-year. 

Thomas J. Bargis and Isaac L. Dickinson dealt in 
stoves and tinware. William Show and Isaac Paxson, 
senior, supplied the citizens with meats. ^lark Lewis 
and William Mason, who soon after came to the rescue, 
furnished bread, cakes and crackers. John Suffrins, 
the hatter, then, and for many years after, took care of 
the cranial department of the multitude, and C. A. 
Dickinson and J. B. Hunnicutt supplied our wants, 
real or imaginative, with jewelr}', watches, etc. Both 
have long since retired from the stage of action. J. W. 
Gilbert, Dan Sloan and K. Brookens catered to the 
public wants in the capacit}' of hosts. We had but one 
monied institution, known as the "Old Branch Bank," 
Elijah Coffin, cashier. The building adjoined the Rich- 
mond National Bank, on the east, and was removed, 
a few 3'ears since, to make room for other improve- 
ments. Our lawj'ers were Stephen B. Stanton, James 
Perr}' and William A. Bickle. The two former are 
deceased ; the latter, alone, continues in practice. 
The medical profession w^as abh' represented by Doc- 
tors John T. Plummer and William B. Smith, both of 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 229 

whom have long since paid the debt of Nature. A. N. 
Newton was the onl}^ dentist of the time, and was, for 
several 3^ears, without a rival, until Doctor William R. 
Webster located in our midst. Doctor Newton has 
retired from the profession, and Doctor Webster has 
passed to that bourne, from which no traveler returns. 
They were both good men, and professionally equal to 
the requirements of the times. Milton Hollingsworth 
is deserving of special mention, as being one of Rich- 
mond's foremost teachers — earnest, capable and effi- 
cient. He was beloved and esteemed b}^ his pupils, 
admired and respected by all. He, too, has gone to 
his rew^ard. John K. Bosw^ell was tlie first Daguerrean 
artist, of \\\y recollection, here. His work was a credit 
to his profession, and specimens of his art, in the 
writer's possession, will bear comparison with that of 
the present day. 

James Elder was postmaster here during 1847 ^^^^ 
1848, and it is my recollection that he also dealt in books 
and paper. He recentl}' informed me that during 
his administration single letter postage ranged from 
five to ten cents, according to distance transmitted. 
Speaking of postal matters reminds me that about this 
time letter envelopes first made their appearance, and 
their utilit}^ being so manifest, were not long in gaining 
public favor. Not so, however, with the equall}^ useful 
steel pen ; for, although upon the market for years, 
they were just beginning to win their wa}^ to public 



230 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

favor and appreciation. N. S. Leeds was the first citi- 
zen of Richmond to learn the art of telegraphing, which 
he did at Dayton, Ohio, sometime during 1848, for the 
purpose of serving a compan\' who put up a line along 
the National Road, in that 3'ear. Their office was 
located on the north side of West Main street, between 
Fifth and Sixth, in the room afterwards owned and 
occupied b}' James J. Jordan, as a fanc}' grocer}'. L. H. 
McCuUough soon after learned to manipulate the in- 
strument, and became the former's successor. For lack 
of patronage, or some other cause unknown to the 
writer, the enterprise proved a failure, and the line 
went down. Mr. Leeds has responded to a message 
from the eternal world, while Mr. McCullough, for 
some 3'ears later, still t03'ed with the subtle fluid, in its 
various moods. 

It ma}' be of interest, in this connection, to state 
that the latter gentleman was the first person to intro- 
duce coal oil into this city for the purpose of illumina- 
tion. This was in 1858, and the oil so used was dis- 
tilled from coal, b}' some enterprising individual of 
Covington, Kentuck5\ 

It ma}' be said of the amusements of those days, that 
they were neither varied nor numerous. Picnics in 
Summer, and balls and parties in Winter, constituted 
about all the diversions of that period. Lectures, con- 
certs and theatricals were not in vogue ; the reigning 
influence seemed averse to anything of a happy or joy- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 231 

ous nature. The piano, that much-tortured instrument, 
had but two representatives in the town ; and as for 
the sewing machine, alas! it was not — unless, indeed, we 
dared, without irreverence, apply the term to Eve's fair 
daughters, those blessed earthly ministers, who are ever 
ready to repair our garments or relieve our woes. 

The press, that mighty engine, had its representatives 
in two weekly journals : the Palladium 2iX\^ Jeffersonian , 
republican and democratic, respectivel}^, in politics. 
The former was, for man}^ years, published by Messrs. 
Hollo wa}' & Davis, and since 1876 has been issued 
both daih' and weekly. It is now under the manage- 
ment of Messsrs. Surface & Flickinger. The Jeffer- 
so?iia?i was presided over by James Elder, Esq., but 
has long since ceased to greet the public. 

In those ' ' good old da^^s ' ' there were no women in 
the professions, none as teachers in the schools ; the}' 
were unknown to the editorial chair, nor had the}' a 
place at the desk, the case, or the counter. With rare 
exceptions, the}^ were deemed incompetent for places of 
trust or responsibility^ Man's estimate of woman was 
not creditable to his head and heart ; his bio;otrv and 
selfishness were a bar to her advancement. But, thanks 
to the dawn of a higher intelHgence and the spread of 
more liberal views, the da}' of her deliverance has 
come ; the shackles of prejudice and superstition a're 
falling about her, and she is free to pursue whatever 
occupation she may choose. A universal culture has 



232 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

taken the place of a partial education ; a better S3'stem of 
schools, the press, and the facilities for travel and inter- 
course, added to a growing disposition to investigate 
all subjects — taking nothing for granted — have com- 
bined to elevate, and fits her for the active duties of 
life. She is freer, stronger, more self-reliant than her 
sisters of an}^ age. Ma}^ the bondage of hand or brain 
be hers no more, while the freedom of thought and the 
freedom of speech shall continue to be the just inheri- 
tance of a free and independent people. 

Referring to pioneer times, it is recorded that the 
first settlers came here in 1805 ; that John Smith laid 
out the town in 18 16 ; that it was incorporated in 1818 ; 
that a brewer}'^ and post-ofhce came into existence the 
same 3'ear ; that Robert Morrison was postmaster till 
1829 : that the first newspaper was issued in 1821 ; 
that the first roads w^ere opened in the direction of New 
Paris and Eaton, Ohio, in 1806 and 1S07 ; that the 
National Road was located in 1828 ; that the same 
became a pike, or gravel road, in 1848, about which 
time several others were constructed. The railroad 
first entered Richmond in 1853 ; the first grist-mill was 
built in 1807 ; the first brick house, b}^ John Smith, in 
181 1 ; the first tavern was opened in 18 16, and the first 
banking house in 1835 ; the first doctor came in 18 18, 
the first lawyer in 1826, and finall}', the first census, 
in 1824, showed a population of 453 inhabitants. 



POEMS AND S KE r CITES. 233 

We might very properly supplement these hasty 
sketches, by brief! 3' tracing the career of such earl 3' 
citizens as John S. Newman, David Hoover, Charles 
W. Starr, Robert Morrison, Albert C. Blanchard, Elijah 
Coffin, John Finle3^, and man3' others, whose lives have 
left their impress upon this communit3^ ; but such an 
undertaking would transcend the original purpose of 
these papers, as well as the needful information and 
abilit3^ of the writer. We trust, however, that the sub- 
ject ma3' 3^et receive the consideration it so justh' 
deserves, at the hands of some one full3' competent to 
the task. 

At the period of mx^ coming, as before stated, we 
had no railroad, but one turn-pike, no telegraphs and 
no telephones. At the present day the3' radiate in all 
directions from us, and encircle us round about. Then, 
communication with the outer world was slow and diffi- 
cult ; now, we have almost unlimited facilities for trans- 
portation and travel, and almost instant communication 
with the uttermost parts of the earth. 

Behold ! what a marvel has been wrought ! What 
wondrous change in the brief space of something more 
than two score 3xars ! 



234 POEMS A XI) SKETCHES. 



PAPER NO. 2. 




ANY years before the writer's advent to this 
city, the National road was constructed, but, 
from the State line to Indianapolis, had never been 
graveled, so that travel in Winter and earl 3^ Spring was 
almost out of the question. The older citizens will 
remember that during those seasons the mail was often 
carried on two wheels, surmounted b}^ an open, queens- 
ware crate, which held the driver, the mail bags, and 
an occasional weary, mud-bespattered passenger — all 
drawn b}^ four equall}^ wearj^, worn and muddy horses — 
for the condition of the roads was simpl}- fearful, requir- 
ing expert drivers and good teams to pull through. 
" The mud wagon," as it was aptl}"- named, was used 
when the roads manifested signs of improvement, and 
consisted of a common, four-wheeled farm wagon, with 
board bed and canvas cover, stretched over wooden 
bows — having two or three plain boards placed across 
for seats, sans springs or cushions. This rude con- 
trivance was especially designed for the accommodation 
of the traveling public, and it may readih^ be imagined 
what a treat it was, and what a degree of comfort it 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 235 

afforded. It, also, was drawn b}' a quartet of wear}' 
equines, who slowly trudged through mud and mire, 
now over some rude causeway — here of rails, and there 
of logs — and anon into some "slough of despond," 
sometimes sticking fast and requiring the united efforts 
of all the passengers to pry it out — they, meanwhile, 
receiving such a baptism of mud and water as, in these 
days, it would be almost impossible to conceive. As 
Summer approached and the roads improved, stage 
coaches were brought into requisition, making travel, 
if not absolutel}' comfortable, at least quite tolerable. 
I remember making the trip from this city to Cincin- 
nati, one bright October day, about the 3'ear 1848, in 
a "coach and four," and I think I never enjo3'ed a 
daj^'s journe}' so much in all nn' life. The time 
required was about twelve hours. In conversation 
with one of our older citizens, a short time since, he 
informed me that during the period in which our 
townsman, Joseph W. Gilbert, and a Mr. Voorhees, 
were each running passenger coaches to Cincinnati and 
intermediate points, the former, for a brief period, 
reduced the fare to the nominal sum of fifty cents, each 
way, thus hoping to discourage his rival, and induce 
him to withdraw, that he might have a clear field to 
himself. This, my informant thought, was about the 
year 1840. Many doubtless still remember the great 
droves of far- western cattle, as well as hogs and sheep, 
and on one occasion, turkeys, driven to market over 



236 FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 

that great highwa}^, the National Road, and so con- 
tinued until the introduction of steam and an iron out- 
let to the eastern world. 

During these years there were also countless emi- 
grant wagons going west with their precious human 
freight, seeking homes in some visionar37^ El Dorado of 
the New World. Hard, indeed, was the lot of many, 
whether in the midst of the forest, or out upon the 
bosom of some boundless prairie. Hardships, privation 
and sickness were sure to attend them ; friends and 
early associations were far away, while strange, rude 
neighbors, for companions, dwelt about them — few and 
far between. Achilles Williams, who was one of 
Nature's noblemen, and an early pioneer, related to the 
writer, some twent}^ years ago (now 1896), the story 
of his first visit, in the year 1S20, to the site and sur- 
roundings now occupied by the capital of the State — 
whose wealth, magnitude and business aggregate are 
approached b}" few inland cities on the continent. In 
the midst of an unbroken forest he found but two 
human beings to greet him — one of whom was an 
adventurous white man, the other his Indian wife, 
whose temporary hovel of bark was the onl}^ visible 
handiwork of man, to rear its unpretentious form amid 
the trees. Trul}^, seventy-five years (1896) have 
wTought a wondrous change. I recently spent some 
days at the cit}^ of Indianapolis, and on one occasion, 
when in the union depot, I beheld and counted, over 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 237 

and around the ticket office, fifteen clock-faced dials, 
each indicating the time of departure for as man}' 
trains on fifteen several roads, while a telegraph pole, 
standing in front of m}' hotel, supported, upon its 
out-stretched arms, one hundred and twent}^ wires. 
These things tell their own story of a progressive age. 
It is doubtful if an}- other agenc}^ on the continent of 
America has exerted so vast an influence in the develop- 
ment of the country and the education of its people, as 
the various systems of railroads, now ramifjdng and 
reaching out into the uttermost parts of this great 
republic. It is a marvel, even to ourselves, to contem- 
plate the astonishing progress made by this nation in 
the past forty 3'ears. The railroads, the telegraphs, 
the daily press, the telephone, the sewing machine, gas, 
coal oil, electric light and power — all recent innova- 
tions — besides countless improvements, inventions and 
discoveries in mechanics, agriculture and the arts, most 
of which ma}^ be justly attributed to a higher and more 
universal education, whose magic and might}' forces 
have been stimulated, fostered and encouraged by our 
public schools. All these things have combined to 
lessen our labor, increase our comforts, add to our 
enjoyments, develop our resources, extend our knowl- 
edge, duplicate our wealth, and in man}' ways tend to 
place us in the front rank of nations. 



238 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Recently, in looking over some old-time letters and 
papers, I made the discovery of a card, or ticket'^^ of 
invitation, which, for a matter so apparently trivial, 
possesses, nevertheless, more than ordinary interest as 
a relic of the past ; for it was nothing less than a bid 
to the "railroad ball," gotten up in commemoration 
of an event destined to be of the greatest possible 
moment to this city and vicinit3^ It ran as follows : 

" The company of j^ourself and lad}^ is respectfully^ 
solicited to attend a ball, to be given in honor of the 
commencement of the railroads of the Whitewater and 
Miami Valleys, at D. D. Sloan's National Hall, on 
Thursday evening. May 30, 1850. Managers for 
Richmond : D. P. Hollo wa}^, James Elder, S. E. 
Iredell, Irvin Reed, W. W. Ljmde, and James King." 
Then follow man}^ other names — thirty-five in all — 
as representatives of New Paris, Centerville, Hagers- 
town, Winchester, Cambridge City, Connersville, 
Eaton, Hamilton, New Castle, Muncie, Libert}^, and 
Dayton, concluding with the name of Reece Kendall 
as floor manager. 

Three 3^ears subsequent to this occurrence, the 
Indiana Central Railway was completed to this city, 
and James M. Brown appointed its first temiporary 
agent — which position he held for a few months only 
— transacting its business in his own private ofhce, 



*This ticket of invitation is now preserved in the Railroad ^luseum of 
the Pennsylvania Company, at Chicago, Illinois. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 239 

near the depot. The writer became his successor, and 
opened the first permanent office, in the compan3^'s own 
building, buying the safe, copying-press and some of 
the books, and other needful appurtenances, of William 
T. Dennis — then in the hardware business, on the 
northeast corner of Franklin (now Seventh) and Main. 
It became ni}^ duty to act in the two-fold capacit}^ of 
freight and ticket agent — a post involving both 
responsibilit}^ and labor, greath^ in excess of, and out 
of proportion to, the meager compensation allowed. I 
also fitted up and furnished for the compan}^ its first 
ticket office in the old, original passenger depot, an 
insignificant, one-storied brick structure, which, I do 
not think, exceeded eighteen by seventy-five feet, in 
size, having a narrow wooden platform on either side, 
with a planked extension at each end, for the accom- 
modation of baggage and express matter. I continued 
to. hold ni}^ position for about twelve months, when I 
resigned the office, to engage in more lucrative employ- 
ment. Mr. John L^'^nch became m}" successor, and 
S. F. Fletcher his. During ni}^ brief administration, I 
emplo3'ed, among others, one William Zeek, to assist 
in the handling and transfer of freight, who has most 
faithfully performed the same duties, at the same 
place, for more than fort}' years. Hon. John S. New- 
man was president, and Samuel Hanna treasurer, of 
the Indiana Central Railwa}- Compan}' at that time, the 
former of whom I had frequent occasion to see and 



1>W POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 

consult, on business relating to the road. At this 
period I was a boarder with Harmon B. Pa3-ne, w^ho 
was just then preparing himself for the legal profession, 
and man}' a time have I seen him deeply engaged in 
his studies, long before da}', by the feeble light of a 
tallow candle. 

Asking your indulgence, to go back a few 3'ears, 
I will state that ni}^ object in coming here was that of 
accepting a position tendered me, as salesman in their 
dry goods store, by the Messrs. Strattan & Wright, 
w^ho were then, as for several subsequent seasons, 
also engaged in buying hogs and packing pork. And 
w^ell do I remember the numberless calls for the senior 
proprietor, who, it seemed to me, was more in demand 
than an}" other mortal I ever knew, and at that time 
clearly of more consequence than any man in the com- 
munity. "Strattan's corner," as it was called, was 
headquarters for the clamorous horde, seeking to dis- 
pose of their defunct, and often frozen, porcine 
carcasses. On two occasions, which I remember, hogs 
were brought in of very unusual size — two of which 
weighed, each, eight hundred pounds, net. One of 
them, I think, was raised by a Jesse Evans. 

The firm were doing a very fair business, having 
many regular customers, especially among the P'riends, 
who came long distances to make their purchases at 
this popular house. But, unquestionably, too much 
was allowed to go out on long time. It was the pre- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 241 

vailing custom then — and a very unfortunate one — 
to give to the farming community, and many others, a 
year's credit for what should have brought them cash, 
and, if unable to pay at the expiration of that time, 
take their notes, bearing six per cent, interest, for such 
additional time as might be agreed upon, not infre- 
quently running over into a second year. The pork- 
packing arrangement of which I have j ust spoken , was 
conducted, in great part, to facilitate collections. The 
debtor w^ould bring in his hogs, and either receive or 
pay the difference between the value of his pork and 
store account, which, being cancelled, left him at liberty 
to begin anew, which he often did within the same 
hour of his settlement. 

In those daj^s merchants from this part of the 
country were in the habit of bu3ang their stocks of dr}' 
goods mosth^ in Philadelphia — the community being 
composed largely of Friends, who preferred a class of 
merchandise known as "plain goods," not infrequently 
including a line of domestics or staples, such as prints, 
muslins and checks, of inferior make and color, sup- 
posed to have been produced exclusively b}" ' ' free 
labor," and termed "free labor goods" — which, to 
make them such, often required the utmost stretch of 
fancy, and ver}- great faith. All these were more 
readih' obtained in the great City of Brotherly Love 
than elsewhere. 



242 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

The old house of Sharpless & Sons was a favorite 
with the Quaker trade, as they dealt almost exclusiveh' 
in the class of goods used by these people. A few 
years since, in one of my visits to this grand old city, 
w^hose praises I had so often heard recounted, and 
desirous of seeing still more of its noted places than 
had previousl}^ fallen to ni}' lot, curiosit}^ led me into 
this celebrated establishment, and, to ni}' unbounded 
gratification, I found it all my fanc}' pictured it — a 
real treat to a relic hunter, and quite sufficient!}^ anti- 
quated to satisfy' the most ardent searcher after old 
curiosity shops. Everything within and around told 
plainl}' of the past. The fashions of the da}' were dis- 
regarded ; the past was in its prime ; the 3'ears had 
gone unheeded with their change. This house, at 
least, was still the same ; its construction and arrange- 
ment, and its manner of displa}' were those of 5'ears 
ago. This was even true of help — male and female 
clerks — man}- of whom were past their prime, and 
gray with age and care, having been, most likeh', fix- 
tures in the house for — lo ! these man}- j^ears. This 
is, in all respect, strictly in accord with the spirit of 
old-time Friends — a disposition to be non -progressive — 
a desire to let well enough alone. 

This once sober cit}- of Penn, in times past, was the 
Quaker's chosen Mecca — his ideal shrine of worship. 
and his chief est mart of trade. But, alas, for the transi- 
torv nature of human affairs ! Both the shrine and the 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 243 

worshipper are changed ; it is no longer either saintly 
or sedate ; neither is it as of yore — a beacon to the feet 
of the faithful ; for the youthful scion of the pious 
sire has departed from the faith, assumed the world- 
ling's garb, and, in pursuit of other god's, now goeth 
where he listeth. 

In those days, and as late as 1850, it used to take a 
merchant, going East from here, from four to six weeks 
to accomplish the journey and purchase his goods, the 
trip being made by three several modes of convey- 
ance, namely : Stage-coach, steam-boat and railroad. 
One one occasion, about the year 1850 or 1851, Benja- 
min Strattan, having been East, had his goods shipped 
by the usual route of canal and railroad to Pittsburg, 
and from thence by river to Cincinnati. The water, 
being low, the boat, in its passage, grounded, and per- 
haps sunk. At all events, his goods became badly 
damaged by immersion, after which they were trans- 
ferred to a "lighter," and brought on down the river 
to the Queen City. Now, although his stock had been 
insured against loss or damage in transit, it was made 
to appear that the transfer to another boat vitiated the 
''policy," and, if my memor}^ serves me rightly, he 
was compelled to bear the entire loss sustained. When 
the goods finalh' arrived at their destination, and were 
opened, they presented a pitiful sight, indeed — being 
thoroughly wet, and apparently damaged beyond repair. 
Many of the finer dress fabrics were sent to the dyers 



244 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

to be recolored, and, if possible, restored. But in no 
instance did the result prove vSatisfactory ; they were 
returned in a condition resembling so many dish- 
rags — limp, lusterless, and without finish. Thus they 
remained long upon the shelves, and when sold, invari- 
ably neted a loss. The sequel proved more fortunate, 
however, than was anticipated. The stock was fully 
and freely advertised as wet goods, to be sold cheap, 
and it was marvelous to note how eagerly some people 
sought to purchase many of these goods, at a small 
reduction from cost, in preference to the better, and 
really cheaper ones, at regular prices. I remember 
hearing Robert Morrison once relate the stor}^ of an 
old lady customer of his, who was a particularly close 
buyer — that on one occasion, when she appeared to be 
more persistent than usual in her demands for a reduc- 
tion, she finally exclaimed: "Robert, I do reall}^ 
believe that tliee is asking me more for th}^ goods than 
they cost thee." The older Friends used to style those 
of us who were members of no denomination, "the 
world's people," which was generally understood to be 
the very opposite of a compliment — little thinking 
how ver}'^ many of their own descendants would be no 
less worldly in the next generation. 

Scarcely a third of a century ago the make of the 
garment and the manner of speech were a sure index 
to the religious faith of a large majority of the people 
of this city and vicinity ; but in later years such marks 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 245 

of distinction have been surely and certainly passing 
away. And, while we sincerely trust that the prin- 
ciples held b}^ Friends may ever continue to wield their 
benign influence with each and every one of us, yet we 
earnestl}' hope that the time is not far distant when all 
such peculiarities — whether of speech or dress — will 
be relegated to the shades of the departed past. 

I believe it was some time during 1847 that 
Friends' Boarding School — now known as Karlham 
College — first opened its portals to the public — or, 
rather, that portion of it denominated "the Societ}' of 
Friends," for it was originally designed for the educa- 
tion of their own children, but, finding an insufficient 
support from that direction, they at length determined 
to admit pupils from other denominations and the out- 
side world, at large. From these, however, it was 
said, they demanded a considerable advance for tuition 
over that charged members of their own Society. This 
course, however proper it may have appeared to them, 
did not savor of that strict justice so characteristic of 
these people. During the earlier ^xars of this school's 
history, all scholars were required to attend meeting 
twice a week — Sundays and Wednesdays — and all 
male students unable to plead some disabilit}^ were as 
often mustered together, formed in line, and marched 
in single file, from the college grounds, in West Rich- 
mond, to the old brick meeting-house, north of the 
railroad — a distance of some two miles — in Summer's 



246 FOEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

sun or Winter's storm, to participate in the peculiar 
services of the Societ}', which sometimes consisted in 
passing the time allotted in silent meditation and unut- 
tered prayer. The pupils were usualh- attended b\' 
their teachers, who kept an eye to their deportment, 
and guaranteed their good behavior on the way. This 
semi-weekh' parade of the students always reminded 
the beholder of so man^' ' ' soldier bo3'S, ' ' recentl}' 
recruited for "Uncle Sam's" service. The sight was 
both novel and remarkable, as being enacted b\' the 
sons, and instituted by the very people who, above all 
others, inveighed most strenuoush^ against ever}' form 
of ceremon}-, demonstration and displa}'. 

The frequent gibes and jeers of the bo3's, and 
uncomplimentar}' remarks of man}' of their elders, 
finally put an end to the show. As an institution of 
learning, Earlham College can now justh' be reckoned 
as among the best in the land, and as richh^ deser^-ing 
the patronage of all good people. 

Previous to the days of railroads, and to a very 
limited extent since, the Friends came to " Yearh* 
Meeting " in their own conveyances, usuall}' a two- 
horse carriage, bringing with them, generalh', the 
elder members of the family, and, occasionally, the 
smaller children. This was alwa3's a great week in 
the history of Richmond, and not infrequently as great 
an event in the lives of man}' of the members — whose 
quiet, plodding ways and simple habits were but seldom 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 247 

varied by the most ordinary pleasures and pastimes, 
beyond the monotonous routine of each returning day. 
The younger members from the rural districts were, 
frequently, simplicity itself. Often have I seen them 
— boy and girl — go hand in hand along our streets, 
utter 13^ unconscious of the world about them, munching 
huge chunks of ginger-bread, or indulging in some 
other unused luxury. This w^as, to them, their ultima 
thide — the crowning bliss of all their former hopes — 
this coming to Richmond during "Yearly Meeting," 
with their best girls, to share in all the jo3^s, and revel 
in the sights and sounds and unaccustomed luxuries of 
a considerable town ; but then thej^ were profoundly 
happy — and that is more than can be truly said of 
many of the present day, although surrounded with 
increased wealth and countless sources of enjoyment. 

Until about the ^^ear 1849 or '50, copper coins were 
almost unknown as a circulating medium, in this part 
of the world. They were first introduced with the 
completion of turnpikes, or toll-roads, as a matter of 
necessity, to make change. Either Robert Morrisson, 
who was president, or Benjamin Strattan, for a time 
treasurer of the Wayne County Turnpike Company, 
ordered the first installment of a hundred dollars' 
worth, or ten thousand pieces, from the Philadelphia 
mint. They were of the large, old-fashioned variety, 
and made a package somewhat resembling a keg of 
nails, for size. These coins were doled out to the 



248 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

"gates" as needed, and thus found their way into 
general circulation. 

It may still be remembered b\' some that the first 
line of telegraph known to this vicinity was that put 
up along the National road, some time during the 
Summer of 1848, but which, for want of sufiicient 
patronage, was, within a year or t\^o, transferred to 
some more appreciative localit}'. In fact, the people 
upon whom it depended for its patronage and profit 
had not yet attained to the commercial and personal 
needs of such an institution ; the}' had not learned to 
appreciate the advantages of rapid transit and travel, 
and, much less, those of instantaneous communication 
b}' telegraph. 

While writing of this subject, I am reminded that 
some time during this same year of 1S48 a gentleman 
— William Unthank — came to this city and announced 
a lecture, to be delivered in the lower room of the old 
" Warner building," on the subject of " Electricity as 
a ^Motive Power. ' ' The interest manifested by the 
public was not commensurate with the importance of 
the subject, and comparatively few persons came out 
to hear what the lecturer had to saj*. Models were 
exhibited and their operations explained. He desired 
to enlist the sj^mpathies of capitalists, in behalf of the 
enterprise, who might be willing to advance the means 
necessary- to test the merit and practical working of his 
theories. However, he met with no encouragement 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 249 

here : the subject was too new and ill}^ understood by 
most people ; and such apparently visionary schemes 
did not readily command the confidence, much less the 
cash, of the general public, and, at that day, not even 
its curiosity. This circumstance is cited to show the 
lack of interest and appreciation in the public mind, 
too often apparent on similar occasions when matters 
of the utmost importance are presented for its serious 
consideration, as well as to illustrate the possibilities of 
the human understanding in the direction of growth 
and development; and* also to prove that the perse- 
vering delver in divine thought will not fail, at length, 
to bring up priceless pearls from the hidden recesses of 
the intellectual treasur}' — whose varied stores and 
collective resources are almost without limit ; how an 
idea, once conceived, may grow, by slow degrees, from 
germ to bud, and, in due season, blossom into the full- 
blown glory and realization of the perfect and complete 
ideal. Such, in his day, was not the good fortune of 
this hapless theorist and thinker — he did not live to 
realize the final consummation of his dream, for he 
sought aid and sympathy in vain. But others, follow- 
ing in his wake, took up the current of his thoughts 
and crystallized them into form, and the seeming fancy, 
of a generation since, became an accomplished fact. 

Thus feeble thoughts, at length, the mightiest 
things evolve — as towering oaks from tiny acorns 



250 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

grow ; as wind-strewn seeds suggest the forest, wide ; 
or, as chaotic atoms formed the universe — developed 
in the lapse of time, through ages past, of long- 
forgotten years. 



PAPER NO. 3. 



THERE is, perhaps, no other delusion so far-reach- 
ing, or so fondly cherished by the human race, as 
the popular belief which attributes to our youthful 
days the doubtful merit of being, in all things, better 
than aught of these "degenerate times." With the 
middle-aged and the elderly the feehng is almost univer- 
sal that men were more moral, more virtuous, and more 
upright ; and that they were less given to sensuality 
and dissipation ; that peace, order and sobriet}' reigned 
supreme — in short, that the world was one grand, 
moral paradise, as compared with the present ; whereas, 
in point of fact, nothing could be farther from the 
truth. Life was just as real, earnest and exacting in 
the past as in the present ; love, hatred, jealousy — all 
held sway over men's minds then, as now, for human 
nature has doubtless been much the same in all ages. 
Into each human history is woven more or less of the 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 251 

good and the bad, the false and the true. Many an 
airy castle, which we bnilded in our youth, was a mere 
vagary of the imagination — a mere fiction of the 
fancy — created out of nothing, and to nothing soon 
returned. Thoughtfulness and sobriet}' belong onl}- to 
maturity of years, and follow in the footsteps of age. 
Youth is indeed the spring-time of life, and is glorious 
in its strength and beauty. But age should be no less 
glorious, in its dignity, serenity and wisdom. Xove, 
virtue and goodness, with their kindred attributes, were 
man's inheritance from his Maker, and will continue to 
bless and to comfort him to the end of time. So, also, 
were his sins and his weaknesses a part and parcel of 
his human nature. If it be admitted that man has not 
degenerated, as I think it must, the theory that the 
world has grown worse than formerly can be nothing 
short of a fallacy. The progress of recent times, not 
onl}^ in the arts and sciences, but in morality and 
religion, as well, is indeed too evident to be mistaken, 
and is quite suihcient to prove the very contrary of the 
proposition. It may be truly said that the good that 
men do lives after them, the evil is interred with their 
bones ; for, do we not, in our contemplation of the past, 
remember only the virtues, the friendships and the loves 
of the long ago — forgetful of the sins and the weak- 
nesses and the human frailties, which beset us then, as 
now ? And thus it is, we dwell so fondly on the past, 
and think the elder days were better than the new. 



252 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Nothing can be truer than that the world has alwa5^s 
been wicked. Vice and immoraHty have been the 
inheritance of all peoples and all times ; and, for at least 
a partial illustration of this truth, we need not go from 
home. The writer distinctly remembers that in our. 
own moral ( ?) little city, with but a tithe of its present 
population, and comparatively few of the influences 
now so conspicuous for evil, we were yet far from being 
altogether good. Mischief often held high carnival in 
our midst ; pugilistic contests were not uncommon, and 
the baser passions were by no means always in abe}^- 
ance, even surrounded, as we were, by a people so 
remarkable for piety, good order and peace principles, 
as were the Friends, who were dominant at the time. 
The unruly element was rarely ever traceable to their 
ranks, yet these baser spirits lived and flourished here, 
as elsewhere, and as they ever will, in all communities, 
to a greater or less degree. I occasionally meet one of 
these old-time "Pariahs" upon our streets — "lone- 
wandering, yet not lost" — who, in earlier days, w^as 
wont to make night hideous in his cups. His com- 
panions have mostly found shelter in their graves, 
while he, illy clad, neglected and alone, a wreck in 
morals, character and health, will soon descend in 
sorrow to his own. 

It used to be the delight of the ' ' hoodlums ' ' of 
those days to appoint a meeting somewhere on Main 
street — usually selecting a moonlight evening — and 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 25:^. 

after the villagers had retired for the night, to either 
build a fire upon the ground, or procure an old stove from 
the premises of some dealer, gravel}^ set up the pipe and 
put on a kettle of water, and, after all was in order and 
the steam and smoke ascending, hot drinks would be 
prepared and passed around, to add fresh fuel to the 
flagging fires within. They would then join hands all 
around, and shout and dance and sing till the welkin 
fairl}' rung, conducting themselves like a company- of 
savages, far into the "wee small hours," unmolested 
b)^ officers or citizens. 

At times the dry goods boxes from the four quarters 
of the town would be collected during the night and 
piled many feet high, across the principal thorough- 
fare, completely barricading it against the traffic and 
travel of the following morning, when, at a late hour, 
the obstruction was generally removed b}^ the owners 
of the propert}^ appropriated — the guilty parties mean- 
while chuckling at the annoyance and vexation thus 
created. Sometimes the signs would be taken down all 
over the village, and so changed around that the dr}' 
goods merchant got the grocer's sign, and the grocer 
the dry goods dealer's ; the banker became a book- 
seller, and the book-seller a banker ; or it sometimes 
chanced that the doctor's front door would be orna- 
mented b}' the dressmaker's tin sign, and she, in turn, 
would rejoice in the professional insignia of the disciple 
of Esculapeus. On one occasion a monied institution 



254 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

was made to represent a shaving shop, b}' setting up a 
barber's striped pole in front of it. Once, upon a Sun- 
day morning, after the ' ' bo3\s ' ' had indulged in their 
customar}' Satuida}" night's revel, a new farm wagon 
was to be seen drawn up b}^ the side- walk, on East 
Main street, having placed upon it a delapidated out- 
building, ornamented with the gaudy sign of a well- 
known tonsorial artist, looking, "for all the world," 
like some bona fide establishment on wheels, quietly 
awaiting its share of the public patronage. On some 
occasions the gates would be taken from their hinges 
and carried off to some secure hiding place, to be 
returned at will, or perhaps never. Again, it might be 
the wheel of some carriage or buggy that was missing, 
subjecting the owner to untold annoyance, and a fruit- 
less search of da3'S, or even weeks, when at last some 
one would fish it from the bottom of the river, where it 
had been sunk, or, perchance, recover it from the roof 
of some distant barn, or out-building, where it had been 
placed b}' the authors of the mischief. 

During the period from 1848 to 1852, Richmond 
had nothing better than a couple of old ' ' hand 
engines ' ' with which to protect her propert}^ from 
fire. The companies in charge were poorl}^ organized, 
and consisted largeh' of 3'oung men and boys, few of 
whom had an}* interests at stake. Man}' were reckless 
and irresponsible, and, in the writer's opinion, fre- 
quenth^ guilty of firing old buildings, and possibl}'-, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 255 

also, some of the better sort — solely to get out the 
engines and see which could get on first water. The 
excitement often ran high, and sometimes the ill-feeling 
engendered would culminate in a row, or a personal 
combat, betw^een the contestants of the rival companies. 
There is little doubt that these organizations w^ere 
responsible for a vast deal of mischief, since, immedi- 
ately after the adoption of a paid fire department, the 
alarms, both true and false, fell off at least one-half. 
There used to be two brothers here, named, respectively, 
Dave and Sam Edwards — both blacksmiths — and one 
Joshua Horner — also a son of Vulcan — besides other 
kindred spirits, either dead or retired, by reason of age 
or infirmit}', from their wonted occupations, who never 
failed to participate in every fray which ingenuity or 
insult could bring about ; and, as they wielded fists 
like sledge-hammers, they rarely failed to be the 
victors. At times these contests w^ould seem to become 
contagious, and a perfect row would result, involving 
many individuals. The writer has seen a whole square 
in commotion, at the same time densel}^ packed with a 
swaying, surging mass of humanit3^ These disgraceful 
occurrences took place mostly on some public occasion 
— such as election or show da3's — when the streets 
would be thronged b}^ our own citizens, or people from 
the countr^^ At such times man}^ became intoxicated, 
consequentl3^ excitable, and ready for anything that 
might offer, however foolish, daring or desperate. 



2of3 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

The recollection of one of these old-time roughs occurs 
to me, who was never absent from a fire, who was 
rarel}' ever sober, and who was sure to do more harm 
than good in his possibly well-meant endeavors. I 
have seen him break down doors, cut down hand- 
railing, and knock out window-frames and sash, throw 
out mirrors, snd carry down feather-beds, in his 
drunken and insane excitement, and all this in a part 
of the house wholly free from danger. This same 
individual, when in liquor, was the terror of his neigh- 
borhood. He became furious as a wild beast, fearless 
as a savage, and reckless as onl}^ bad whisky can make 
a man. In this condition he would be extremely 
uncivil and abusive, and thereb}^ get himself into 
numerous difficulties. At such times few men would 
have deemed it safe to interpose as peace-makers, 3'et 
his wife — who was but a frail woman — could 
approach him and, placing her hand upon his arm, 
would quietly lead him away, utterl}^ subdued and 
without a murmur — just as a loving mother might 
lead away a little child. 

It is scarceh^ necessar}^ to remind. the reader that, at 
the period to which these sketches refer, we were not 
3^et blessed (?) with an efficient (?) police force, as 
now ; but, if ni}^ memory serves me, we had but two 
peace officers, whose jurisdiction pertained to the 
village proper — nameh^, the ma3"or and town marshal. 
The latter was himself too often under the influence of 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 257 

the ' ' flowing bowl ' ' to fully comprehend the failings 
and offenses of his fellows ; while the former, although 
a worthy and upright gentleman, was neither aggres- 
sive nor progressive. 

These pictures have been drawn from real life, in 
our own midst, as it existed here some forty years ago, 
mainly for the wTiter's own gratification and amuse- 
ment, as well as to wrest from oblivion some of the 
valorous (?) deeds and pastimes of our early contem- 
poraries ; and, secondly, to in some measure dispel the 
oft-cherished delusion that the past was better than the 
present. 



rvsaag/a 



BIOGRAPHICAL. 



GENERAL SOL MEREDITH. 



From His Monument in Cemetery near Cambridge City, Indiana. 

A gallant soldier and just man — Major-General 
Solomon Meredith. Born in Guilford county, North 
Carolina, May 29th, 1810 ; died at Oakland farm, near 
Cambridge City, Indiana, October 21st, 1875. A man 
of good heart, pure patriotism and generous hospitality ; 
distinguished for energy of character, in the promotion 
of public improvement, liberal education, and progress 
in agriculture. He was a member of the Legislature, 
and held, with honor, many offices of public trust, 
under both general and state governments. In the 
war for the Union, he commanded the Nineteenth 
Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, in the battles of Gains- 
ville, South Mountain and Antietam, and on other 
well-fought fields. He was promoted for gallantry, 
and led the ' ' Iron Brigade ' ' through all its marches 
and battles until severel}^ wounded at Gettysburg. 
He then commanded the Western District of Kentucky 
until the close of the war. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 259 



AIvFRED KAYNE. 



The subject of the following brief sketch was a 
native of this vicinity, born of parents, poor, illiterate, 
and of low degree. For some years, during his boy- 
hood, he worked as a farm hand for Benjamin Strattan, 
then the principal merchant of this city, and who 
resided on his farm, three miles east, near the National 
Road, and now the property of a Mr. Garwood. 

Our subject's education was very limited, and was 
mostly acquired in the village schools of Liberty, 
Indiana, under the tuition of one William Houghton, 
an early teacher and member of the Society of Friends. 
He was earnest,* honest and ambitious, and desiring to 
advance himself, obtained a position as clerk in the 
dry goods store of Mr. Ralph A. Paige, of this city. 
After a few years spent in that capacity, here, he sought 
and obtained a place as salesman with Acton & Wood- 
nutt, of Cincinnati, with whom he remained some time. 
But, being desirous of going another round higher, he 
went to the city of New York, where he procured 
employment in a wholesale dry goods CvStablishment, 
and while there made himself master of three languages 
besides his own, viz : French, German and Italian. 
This he did by obtaining board with families of culture, 
who spoke only their native tongues — remaining with 



260 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

each long enough to speak their language fluently. 
Being thus equipped, with a knowledge of four languages 
at his command, success, to one of his energy and indom- 
itable will, seemed almost certainly assured. He had not 
long to wait. The proprietors of the house of S. B. 
Chittenden & Co., 350 Broadway, who were extensive 
importers and jobbers of dr}^ goods and notions, made 
him an advantageous offer, which he readily accepted. 
At his first introduction to his fellow associates and 
clerks, he was often ridiculed and guyed for his seem- 
ing verdanc}' and awkwardness. He soon, however, 
proved himself not onh^ their equal, but, as a salesman, 
greatly superior to the hundred or more employees of 
the house, while, at the same time, the unusual interest 
he manifested in his employers' affairs did not long go 
unnoticed, nor unrewarded. During the second year 
of his stay he had the general management of all the 
departments, was vSoon after sent to Paris as resident 
buyer, remaining abroad for several 3^ears, and finally 
given an interest in their very lucrative business. This 
occurred some time during the year i860, after which, 
w^th very good reason, he could regard his future for- 
tune as pretty certainly assured. The sequel to this 
great, good luck was the fact that in a few years he 
w^as enabled to bu}^ out the old firm and re-establish 
himself at its head, under the style of Kayne, Spring, 
Dale & Co. , his associates having been men of experi- 
ence and employees of the old house. His success was, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 261 

from the first, most extraordinar}', with apparently 
every prospect of a long and prosperous career. But, 
unfortunatel}^ for us all in this world, there is nothing 
absolutely certain but death. We ma}^ plan, speculate, 
and prosper for a time, but the final result is in the 
unseen hands of a higher power than ours, and so it 
proved in this particular instance. Sickness and death 
will ever intrude, in this unhappy world, and that, too, 
when we least expect or desire their most unwelcome 
presence. Wealth, prosperit}^ and ambitious hopes wdll 
not avert the inevitable. On his last return from 
Europe he was taken ill with pneumonia, which, in its 
violence, baffled the skill of his pli3'sicians, and his 
remarkable career was brought to an untimeh^ close on 
the 13th da}' of February, 1879 — in the ver}- prime of 
life — being under fort3^-five 3'ears of age. His estate 
exceeded $500,000. He left but a single heir — a son, 
of twelve years, then at school in Paris — his wife 
having preceded him to that ' ' better land ' ' some years 
before. 

Considering his lowl}' origin, he was a most remark- 
able man — simple, kindly and noble. His example stands 
boldly out, and clearly indicates that where there is a 
will, there is a way. Without friends, mone}' or influ- 
ence, he yet bravely and successfully fought the difficult 
" battle of life. ' ' He was energ}-, honesty and veracity, 
personified. Intelligence and a hopeful disposition led 
him, as a guiding star, to the goal of his ambition. He 



262 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

readil}^ achieved both culture and education. Such 
an example as his is worth}^ of the very highest praise. 
Yet, how many there are, who, with all the appliances 
of wealth, friends, and great natural ability, still drift 
on down upon the stream of time, to become utter 
wrecks on the great ocean of life. Alas ! How few of 
all his early friends ever remember him in his old home ! 
Fame and notoriet)^ he never sought, and this poor 
tribute is the only notice of his splendid and noteworthy 
career I have ever seen. Men are too much occupied 
with their own concerns to be greatly interested about 
even their nearest and dearest friends. And then, too, 
not unfrequently, envy plays its miserable part in the 
suppression of a noble name, because of the jealousy 
success engenders. Be that as it may, Alfred Kayne 
was one of Nature's proudest noblemen. Artificiality 
and pretense were wholh^ unknow^n to his simple nature. 
He could not pla}^ deception's part. Such men as he 
could onl}^ bless mankind. 

Farewell, dear friend, thy like is rareh- seen. 

Wednesday, March 25, 1896. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. • 263 



JUDGE JAMES PERRY. 



RiMuarks at the Funeral of His Life-Long Friend, by John Yaryan, 
Esq. — A Merited Tribute, Eloquently Expressed. 



There is a lesson to be learned no less in the death 
than in the life of ever}^ man, and eminentl}" so in the 
case of one who has been distinguished in thought and 
position, like him whose death we are commemorating. 
Judge Perry was more than an ordinar^^ man. Born 
in Madisonv^Ue, Ohio, in January, 1799, he at an earl}^ 
age selected the medical profession as a livelihood. 
After spending about two j^ears reading the profession 
with Dr. Duncan, then an eminent physician, he 
became satisfied he never would be pleased wnth the 
practice of medicine, abandoned the profession and 
went into the profession of the law. While 3^et a 
student he came to Indiana, and in 1824, when the 
county-seat was removed from Brownsville, he located 
in Liberty and was admitted to the bar. His library 
.consisted of Blackstone's Commentaries, Chitty's 
Pleadings and Tidd's Practice, but these he had mas- 
tered perfectly. How^ different the state of affairs 
now ! Neither Kent's Commentaries nor Story's 
Equity had then been written, and since the date of 



264 FOEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

his license we have one hundred and fourteen volumes 
of Indiana reports alone, to say nothing of the statutes 
and other law-books. 

At that time the Whitewater bar was Daniel J. 
Caswell, William R. Morris, John Test, James B. Ray, 
John T. McKinney, Amos Lane, James Rariden, 
David W^allace and Oliver H. Smith, all eminent 
lawyers, statesmen and orators. With his meagre 
library, young Perr}' went into forensic combat. For 
dash and powers of eloquence in debate he was not 
remarkable, but philosophicalh^ and logically he soon 
became their peer. Later on came Caleb B. Smith, 
Parker, Ryman, Holland, Xewman, Morton and 
Charles H. Test, with whom he traveled and practiced 
through the almost roadless regions of eastern Indiana. 
In 1828 he was elected prosecuting attornej^, and well 
were the duties of the office performed. 

In 1840 Samuel Bigger, then judge of the circuit 
court, was elected Governor, by which his office 
became vacant. By an almost unanimous petition of 
the board, the retiring Governor appointed Judge Perry 
to fill the vacanc}^, and he occupied the bench till 184.1, 
when he located in Wayne count}* and resumed prac- 
tice. In all these relations of life he proved himself 
equal to the duties of the trusts. One of his most dis- 
tinguished characteristics, as a public man, was his 
loyalt}^ to candor and truth — he deceived no one ; 
his single inquiry was, " Is it right ? ' ' This determined 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 26> 

on, he sometimes became opinionated, but in no 
instance have I ever heard any one doubt his word or 
integrit}' at the bar or on the bench. 

Consumption was hereditar}^ in the family of his 
father. The judge was the survivor of the family. A 
knowledge of this physical infirmity caused him to 
adopt daily sanitary rules in early life, which sometimes 
became amusing to his more robust but less informed 
professional associates. He, however, adhered to his 
rules and survived the whole circle enumerated. 

I was often with him during his last illness. He 
knew better than w^e at his bed-side that the golden 
bowd was breaking at the fountain, and that the silver 
cord was being loosened. But his mind was an excep- 
tion to the general rule of physical infirmities — appar- 
ently unclouded to the last. A single instance to illus- 
trate : He was in charge of a perpetual trust fund. 
He had several times, within the last few \'ears, used 
small amounts of the funds, but in every instance 
executed his note, pa^'able to the beneficiary, drawing 
the highest rate of interest allowed b}^ law. On the 
morning of the day he died, he directed me to make him 
an abstract of principal and interest of all the notes, 
that he might supersede the old notes b}' a new one, 
and to do it at once. His direction was comphed wdth. 
The abstract being presented, he remarked he felt too 
bad to examine it, and to la}^ it aside till he should feel 
better. At 2 o'clock he called for it, examined and 



26() POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

approved it, and then signed the new note in a legible 
hand. About lo o'clock he called his daughter-in-law to 
his bed-side, told her he was dying and desired her to 
remain w^ith him till it was over, and in thirty minutes 
life faded away so gently that she was at a loss, for 
several moments, to know whether he had dropped 
asleep or was dead. 

On the eightieth annual birthday of the Judge, the 
bar presented him with a full set of the lives of all the 
Chief Justices of England. Yesterday they held a 
meeting and adopted a memorial of respect to him, to 
be spread on the Order Book of Court. Not content 
with these demonstrations of respect, to-day the}- are 
here in a body, intending to accompanj^ the corpse to its 
final resting-place and mingle their sorrow with griefs 
of relatives, in the loss of one so venerable and by them 
so highl}^ esteemed. 

April 30, 1887. 



-^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 2(); 



IRVIN REED. 



Irvin Reed died at 9 : 30 o'clock this morning, from 
sheer exhaustion of vital forces, and when his lamp 
went out there was ended the long career of one of 
Richmond's oldest citizens, who, during her transition 
from a hamlet to a city, was identified with most of 
those enterprises that mark the strides in her prosperity. 

He possessed those elements of success that gained 
for himself a sufficiency of this world's goods, and made 
him prominent as a public spirited citizen. Of later 
years he has been, in a manner, retired from^ active 
business, leaving that to his sons, one after the other, 
until Frank is the only one at home. But he was 
generally found at the store, and seemingly never lost 
interest in either private or public affairs. Recentl}^ he 
had to be helped on his way to and fro, between his 
residence and the store, but he insisted on going until 
a week ago to-da3^ Since then he has been confined 
to the house, but not to his bed, entirely, until since 
Wednesda}'. Then he was up for the last time, and he 
said that he would rather die than make the effort 
again. East night, however, he said he was feeling 
better, and up to within a quarter of an hour of his 
demise he talked to his son, Frank, of business and 
" mother," saying he wanted Frank to look after her, 



268 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

and he guessed all else was all right. Then, conscious 
of the fact that the final hour was near, he resigned 
himself to the short wait for the dark messenger's com- 
ing, and answered the summons without a struggle. 

The deceased was eighty-one 3'ears of age, having 
been born at Zanesville, Ohio, January 9, 18 10. While 
3'et a ver}^ 3^oung man, in 1832, he came to Richmond, 
and was a charter member of the town council, as w^ell 
as the pioneer druggist, he and Charley Sturgess 
embarking in the business that year. Within about a 
3^ear, however, Sturgess left, and then his brother, the 
late General Hugh B. Reed, of New^ Jersey, came here 
and clerked for him, as did the late J. J. Jordan, L. H. 
McCullough and William Schwartz. Two years later, 
December 18, 1834, he was married to Mary Evans, 
daughter of Edmund and Elizabeth Evans, who sur- 
vives him. His health failing, he sold his drug store, 
late in the forties, and embarked in the hardware busi- 
ness, while he was also in the saddler}^ business, tem- 
porarily, before he went to Cincinnati, in 1853, ^^ 
engage in the wholesale drug business, the firm being 
Irvin Reed & Co., Nos. 16 and 18 Main street. In 
1857 ^^ returned to Richmond and embarked in the 
hardw^are business, E. H. Swayne being a partner for 
some time, and he has been in it ever since, in his 
present location, for about twenty-five years. During 
this latter period he lived on what had been his father- 
in-law's farm, which he got in a trade with Edward 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 269 

Potts — where John Fihe lives, part of it being now 
within the city limits, the house being No. 141 3 South 
I street — but about the close of the war he bought and 
removed to his late residence, southwest corner North 
Eighth and A streets. 

No arrangements for the funeral will be made until 
a response is heard from the children. Of ten children^ 
six survive him — Arthur, of Paducah, Kentucky ; 
Albert, of Baltimore ; Charley, of San Francisco ; Hor- 
ace, of Portland, Oregon ; Hugh, of Chicago, and Frank, 
of this city. 

By request of Mrs. Reed, the friends will send no 
flowers. 

April 25, 1891. 



"efs 



270 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



SENATOR JOHN YARYAN. 



Special to the Cincinnati Enqnirpv : 

Richmond, Ind., Jan. 27, 1894. — Senator John 
Yaryan died this afternoon, at his home in this city, at 
the advanced age of ninetj^-two jxars. Mr. Yaryan 
served in the last State Senate and was probably the 
oldest legislator in the country. He was born in Ten- 
nessee and came to Wayne count}^ Indiana, in 1859. 
He served man}^ terms in the State Legislature, in the 
early da3's of the State, and was the author, in Indiana, 
of the law which ga\'e the women the right to own 
proper t}^ and to make a will. Mr. Yaryan 's illness 
was brief. 



[From the Indianapolis Journal, .Ian. 15. 1S93.] 

Hon. John Yar^'an, Senator from the county of 
Wayne, in the Indiana Legislature, is, without doubt, 
the oldest legislator in the world. He passed his 
ninetieth birthday on November 27, 1892, having been 
born in the second 3^ear of the centur3^ He is fourteen 
years older than the State' and is older than its present 
boundar}^ line. At the time of his birth his parents 
were living in Blount count}', Tennessee, of which 
Mar3^sville is the seat. His ancestors were German, as 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. _ 271 

the name would indicate. Mr. Yaryan's educational 
opportunities were fair, for those early times. A Mr. 
John Bigger was the first teacher of his recollection, 
who taught in a school-house located on his father's 
farm — this was in Union county, Indiana, in the 
vicinity of Liberty, the county-vSeat, which was, at that 
time, not yet thought of. His second teacher was 
William Bennett, an uncle of General Tom Bennett. 
The amusements of those days were corn-huskings, 
singing-schools and dances. 

Senator Yaryan was unusually' ambitious, in his 
boyhood, for an education, and pursued the opportuni- 
ties at hand so assiduously that, at twent^'-one years of 
age, he was able to teach in the schools of the settlement. 
His earnings as teacher were about ten dollars per 
month. The first office he ever held was that of 
Justice of the Peace — this was before he was admitted 
to the bar. Senator Yaryan began his legal studies in 
1 83 1, and was not admitted to the bar until 1839. " I 
was required," said he, "to pass two ver}' rigid exam- 
inations, before two Circuit Judges. Our Constitution, 
w^hich was formed in 1851, changed the requirements, 
so that the}^ have ever since amounted, practically, to 
nothing — an}- citizen may become a member of the 
bar, on proof of moral character." 

The bar of eastern Indiana had some noted lawyers 

in the forties : Caleb B. Smith — the friend of Lincoln 

— and his talented brother, Oliver H., both learned 



272 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

and eloquent, practiced at the Union count}^ bar. 
Samuel Parke — also an orator and a noted Congress- 
man in his da}^ — was a compeer of the Smiths. Sen- 
ator Yaryan was the partner of Caleb B. Smith, in 
Union count}^ during the decade from 1840 to 1850. 
Senator Yar3'an's interest in politics began* at an early 
da5^ He lived to vote for eighteen Presidents — from 
1824 to 1892. It has onh' been two j^'ears since he 
retired from the practice of law, but he keeps bus}' as 
the executor of estates, etc., and as the secretar}^ of the 
Odd Fellows' Provident Association. He has no bad 
habits, and is regular in everj^thing. His^ present 
wife is his second wife, to whom he was married in 
1847. He is b\^ no means antiquated in his ideas. 
His faculties serve him admirably, and he keeps posted 
about all that is going on. His life has been a useful 
and an honorable one. C. R. Lane. 



[ From the Richmond Item, Jan. 30, 1894.] 

During the time that the remains of the late John 
Yaryan lay in state, at his residence, on North Tenth 
street, a large number called to look upon his form 
once more. As he la}", surrounded b}'' flowers, he 
looked more as if fallen asleep than that death had 
claimed him. 

At the Wayne county bar meeting, following his 
death, there were present Judge Comstock, C. C. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 278 

Binkle}^ H. B. Pajme, John L. Rupe, C. E. Shivele\', 
J. W. Henderson, Judge Abbott, F. C. Roberts, Judge 
Henry C. Fox, Judge Kibbey, Judge William A. 
Bickle. Lewis D. Stubbs, A. L. Stud}', Jonathan New- 
man, I. Ben Morris, Thomas J. Study, Charles H. 
Burchenal, and Judge Bundy, of New Castle. Judge 
Bickle said, "I never knew Mr. Yaryan, in all the 
forty years of ni}" acquaintance with him, to do a mean 
or dishonest act, or utter a falsehood." Mr. Burchenal 
said, " He Hved out his life well, and did his duty as. 
he saw it." I. Ben Morris said, " For fifty 3'ears he 
has stood a prominent land-mark among the men of 
eastern Indiana. His fall was like the giant oak. I 
consider him one of the big Americans who constitute 
the bulwark of society." L. D. Stubbs said, " He was 
entirel}' incorruptible and thoroughl}^ moral." 

The final services were held at St. Paul's Episcopal 
Church, Rev. J. E. Cathell officiating. When con- 
cluded, the cortege formed in line and proceeded to 
Earlham cemeterj^, where interment took place. 






274 FOEMS AND SKETCHEtS. 



WILLIAM PARRY. 



William Parry is dead. The news of the sad occur- 
rence spread with great rapidity about the city this 
afternoon, and people could scarcely believe that such 
a familiar character as William Parry had gone forever. 
Without a particle of exaggeration, it can be said that 
no citizen, either of Richmond or Wayne count}^ was 
more extensively known, and he held a friendship envi- 
able for its proportions. Some months ago Mr. Parrj^ 
was taken ill, but he was not dangerouslj^ so, and there 
was no fear entertained for his recovery. He was 
always possessed of a robust constitution, and scarcelj^ 
ever before experienced a sick day. During the last 
month his condition has at several times become alarm- 
ing, and it had been regarded by his physicians as very 
doubtful if he would recover. Yesterday he showed 
signs of being much worse, and this morning, close to 
noon, he died. 

William Parry was born July 20, 18 10, in Mont- 
gomery county, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Joseph 
and Sarah (Webster) Parry, both natives of Mont- 
gomery county, his father being born in 1788, and his 
mother in 1789. William received a country school 
education at his birth-place, and at the age of 17 years 
came west with his parents, settling in Wayne county. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 275 

After arriving here, William came to Richmond and 
devoted several years in learning the plasterers' trade, 
after which he became a contractor in the plastering 
business. In 1844 his father had become so enfeebled 
with age that William gave up his business labors in 
Richmond and took charge of the farm, located north- 
east of the cit3\ His peculiar knack for operating any 
business successfully, showed itself after he had taken 
charge of the farm, and he was soon managing a pay- 
ing piece of property. In 1850 he purchased the farm 
from his father, and conducted the same with flattering 
success, realizing a great amount of money from the 
products. His great ability and decidedly honest 
methods in business affairs, soon placed him at the 
front in all movements of either city or county. In 
1849, when the Williamsburg and Richmond Turnpike 
company was talked of, he became the chief of the 
project, and saw it pushed to completion in 1851. He 
became the heaviest stockholder, and in those times the 
road was a paying investment. Mr. Parry also became 
interested in the Wayne County Turnpike company, 
and from 1858 to 1871 served as president. When the 
Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad company built a line 
from Ft. Wayne to Richmond, he, with other Richmond 
citizens, became financially interested, and in 1868 he 
was elected president of the southern end of the G. R. 
& I., known as the Cincinnati, Richmond & Ft. Wayne 
road, and has served continuall}', as its head officer. 



276 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

since that time, oul}" last Friday he being again elected 
to the position. Among Mr. Parr5^'s other offices, he 
has been both cit}^ councilman and township trustee, 
filling both positions with marked success. He was 
married, in 1833, to Mar}^ Hill, daughter of Robert Hill. 
The funeral will occur at 10 : 30 o'clock, Fifth-da}^ 
morning, from the North A Street Friends' meeting 
house, and the time for meeting at the residence is 
8 :.45. Interment will be at the Ridge cemetery. 

Aprii. 9, 1894. 



WILLIAM L. JOHN 



On Fridaj^ September 6, 1895, Major William L. 
John was ninety 3^ears old. He is the oldest man in 
Richmond : that of itself is enough to make him an 
interesting personage ; but that, taken in connection 
with the fact that he is still a comparatively active 
man, ph3^sicall3', and that his mind is as fresh and 
clear as in his 3'outh, makes him all the more interest- 
ing. Then, when 3'ou find a man of that sort who, for 
sevent3' 3^ears, has been at the fore-front of all the 
movements for the good of the countr3' ; who has been 
over the most of the United States — from Massa- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 277 

chnsetts Bay to the Rocky Mountains — and who has 
known all the public men of his time, most of them 
personally, and has worked side by side with them, 
the mere fact of his being the oldest man in Richmond 
does not impress one so much as do his character and 
personality. It is certain that you will seldom find a 
man of more marked personality than Major John. 
His conversation is interesting because he always sa3^s 
something when he talks. This is so unusual with 
men, whether they be ninety years old or fifty, that it 
is all the more noticeable and refreshing. Probably no 
man's talk is fuller of anecdote or of keen every-day 
philosophy — gotten not from books but from experi- 
ence ; and the things he has seen, and the things he 
has helped to do, would go to make one of the most 
interesting biographies that has ever been written of 
the men of the Middle States. 

Major John was born on the 6th day of September, 
1805, in Butler county, Ohio. His parents, who were 
of English, Scotch and Welsh extraction, emigrated 
from Fayette county, Penns3'lvania, in the Spring of 
1802, and built a little cabin on the edge of the wilder- 
ness, which stretched from the Miami river to the 
Pacific ocean, and which was inhabited only b}^ the 
wolf, the bear, the beaver and the red man. In this 
cabin their son was born — the third in a famil}' of ten 
children — and here he grew up, in the midst of wild 
neighbors, with the deer pasturing in the door-yard, 



278 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

and the smoke of the Indian's camp-fire minglmg with 
the smoke from the cabin's chimney. When he was 
five years old his parents removed to Warren county, 
Ohio, and there he spent all of his early life, working 
by day on the farm, getting a little schooling in winter, 
but learning for himself, most, in the great school of 
life. When he was twenty-one he began to read law — 
not because he expectefd to be a lawyer, but from pure 
love of it. He traded corn, at i2j^ cents a bushel, for 
second-hand volumes of Blackstone and for Story on 
the Constitution, and he used to read these on rainy 
da3^s, or at night by the aid of a hickory torch or a 
candle. And it may be said right here, that, though 
Major John was never admitted to the bar and never 
practiced law, in the strict sense of the term, he never- 
theless is as thoroughly grounded on matters legal as 
many another man who has put out a shingle. The 
few other books that he had access to — among which 
were Goldsmith's " Animated Nature " and the poems 
of Robert Burns — he read w^itli such understanding 
and so thoroughly that he got more from them than 
most boys to-day will get out of a whole librar}^ 

He lived on the home place till he was forty 3^ears 
old, when he settled in lyiberty, Union county, this 
State, where he was one of the leading men till he 
moved to Richmond, in 1868. 

All his life he has been an active politician, being 
first a Whig, and afterward a Republican. Since he 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 279 

was twenty-one years old he has never missed voting 
at an election — national, state, or municipal — and he 
has always been a leader in all matters pertaining to 
the good of eastern Indiana. His part in politics 
brought him in contact with most of the men who 
helped make the country, and he was a personal friend 
of John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison, 
Oliver P. Morton, Hayes, John Sherman, Tom Corwin, 
Joe Wright, besides a whole host of Governors and 
Senators. He was a member of the State convention 
which helped nominate Harrison for the Presidenc}^ in 
1836. He built the first turnpike in Indiana, and he 
was a prime mover in first getting railroads into the 
State from the East. 

Despite the fact that he has had such a part in 
public affairs, he has never held an ofhce, preferring, 
rather, to see to getting other good men in than to get 
in himself. 

During the war of the Rebellion he was sent West 
by the Government as a special agent, partly to look 
after Indian affairs and to watch Southern sympathizers 
in the posts of the Rockies ; partly to look out for a 
pass in the mountains where it w^ould be practicable to 
put a railroad through. He traveled across the plains 
to Ft. Laramie, in the dead of winter, with six com- 
panions, and from there made excursions through the 
mountains, visiting seven different tribes of Indians, 



280 POEMS AND SKETCHES, 

and exploring much of what is now Montana, 
Wyoming, Idaho and Colorado. 

The honor of locating the path of the first railroad 
across the American continent has been claimed by 
many men, but there is no doubt that it properly 
belongs to Major John. Previous to his expedition, 
several corps of engineers had tried to find a route 
through the mountains, and without exception had 
reported that the plan was not possible. Not deterred 
by this. Major John made himself familiar with the 
countr}^ b}^ his own observation and by gathering 
information from the Indians and from wandering 
trappers, and it was on a certain very memorable day 
in March that he la}^ down on the grass in Cheyenne 
Pass and wrote to the Secretar}^ of the Interior, 
describing what he believed to be a practicable pass in 
the Rockies. Following his instructions, engineers 
were sent out the next 3-ear, and to-day the whistle of 
the locomotive wakes the echoes in that very pass, and 
the steel rails of the path of commerce gleam within 
fifty rods of the spot where he lay on the ground and 
wrote his dispatches to the department, seeing, per- 
haps, with a prophetic eye, the wonderful development 
of the countr}^, at whose gates he was one of the first to 
knock. 

It is impossible, in the limits of a newspaper article, 
to do justice to, or even give an idea of, the fullness of 
his life of activity. To know that, you must talk to 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. ' 281 

him personally. Writing a sketch of him is not like 
writing of some young man who is just beginning to 
make marks on the page of life, and of whom you can 
prophesy and wonder about : here is a man whose 
word is spoken, and it has been a very good word. 
To have fronted life for ninety years ; to have assumed, 
without shrinking, all the responsibilities of a citizen ; 
to have made life happier for his friends ; to have 
aided young men, by his advice and his example ; to 
have tried always to live honestly with God and man, 
that is to have lived well and wisely. And, in the 
respect and love of everybody who knows him, such a 
man has his reward. 



Note. — William L. John died October 17, 1896, aged ninety-one 
years, one month and eleven days. 



■^ 



OLD LETTERS 



OF PIONEER TIMES. 



Richmond, Ind., Sept. 28, 1834. 
Dear Father : 

It has been some time since I ^Tote you last. I will 
now let 3'ou know, pretty generally, all that is interest- 
ing. John (Finley) wrote you not long since, inform- 
ing 3^ou that Mr. Fleming was ill. He is not 3'et any 
better, and his condition is very serious. I am now 
sitting up with him, and employ a part of the night in 
writing this letter. His condition is the result of a verj^ 
bad cold, taken some three weeks since, from getting 
w^et in a shower of rain. His recovery is indeed very 
doubtful. Doctor Ithamer Warner is his physician. 

Fever and ague has been very prevalent here this 
fall, and also over a greater part of the western country. 
It is now, however, beginning to disappear, on the 
approach of cooler weather. The famil}^ with whom I 
live have all been ver}^ sick, and nearl}" all at the same 
time, excepting the oldest girl, who y^\. has a shake 
every other day. As for myself, I have as yet escaped, 
and am now very heart}^ although for a month past I 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 283 

was a good deal indisposed, but was still able to work. 
The time for which I engaged myself has just expired. 
I have made a little over two hundred dollars. My 
prospects for another year are better than they were 
last, at the same place. The people are pleased with 
me — much pleased with the leather I turn out — and 
desire me to stay. Where to go, I know not, that I 
might do better ; yet I am not wholly satisfied with my 
way of living. The people with whom I make my 
home, though very clever, do not live in accordance 
with my notions of life, in consequence of which I am 
restrained from every advantage of improving or enjoy- 
ing myself as I could wish. What I shall finall}^ do, I 
have not determined, but will shortl}^ I expect to pay 
you a visit this fall. Just now I am very busy, and 
find it difficult to finish leather fast enough to meet the 
demand. I expect, in about two weeks, to go with a 
company on a hunting expedition, thirty or forty miles 
from here, to be gone ten or twelve days. This, and 
my visit to the Springs — Yellow Springs, Ohio — will 
be all the time I can possibly spare, much as I would 
like to take a tour out West, to look for a better loca- 
tion. John expects to start, with a few horses, to Ken- 
tucky, in about two weeks ; or; he may postpone till 
December and enlarge his drove, and go to Carolina or 
Virginia. 

To-day has been a great daj^ for meetings in town. 
The Seceders (who are now known as United Presby- 



28 i POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

terians) held a "sacrament," the Methodists a Quar- 
terly Meeting, and the Hicksite Friends a Yearly Meet- 
ing. On next Sunday will be the Orthodox great day 
of Yearly Meeting. You will see by the Palladiuni 
that the branch of the State Bank, at this place, will 
soon go into operation. John expects to be a candidate 
for cashier, and with as good prospects of success as 
any other candidate. (Elijah Coffin, however, was 
the successful applicant.) I wTOte to William Van 
Meter, some time ago, and expected on answer, soon, 
but I suppose he thinks he will do as I have done with 
him — wait a long time before replying. I wonder why 
Flora ( Finley) or some of the rest of the girls don't 
write to me? I get no letters at all, nowadaj^s, from 
home or any other so~urce. I will confidently look for 
one, soon, from some of you. In your last letter to 
John, you complain you cannot write ; John says you 
can write better than either of us. It is half past twelve 
o'clock, at night, and I believe I cannot think of an^^- 
thing more at present ; but let us hear from you soon, 
and send us such matters of interest, concerning Uncle 
L3"le's and Mr. Knott's families, as j^ou may be able to 
procure, and give my kind regards to all, while I 
remain, as ever, " Your affectionate son, 

Andrew Finite y, Jr. 
To Andrew Finley, Sr., 

Springfield, Ohio. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 285 



At Home, June 28, 1838. 

( On the Elkhorn creek, six miles south of Richmond.) 

Sister Flora : 

I received your letter of the i6th inst., yesterday, 
and yours of March in due time, and would have 
answered it sooner, but I expected, at that time, each 
week, to know the next, when I should visit you, and 
then would wTite ; but the time I expected to go was 
such bad weather and roads, I could not venture out ; 
when the road was better, I could not leave my work. 
Now, it is so far advanced in the season, so hot and 
sultry, that traveling is unpleasant ; so that I prefer to 
postpone my visit until after harvest. You give us 
flattering accounts of religious revival in your region of 
country, which I am glad to hear. I cannot give so 
good an account for ours, although at Abington, three 
or four miles below us, the Methodists and United 
Brethren held a protracted meeting, of ten or twelve 
days' duration, during which time some fifty or sixty 
persons w^ere added to their churches. 

The Baptists have prayer meeting once a week, and 
preaching only once a month. As to my own feelings, 
in regard to religion, I feel at a loss to describe them, 
and am loth to communicate, for fear I might create 
hopes in others, only to be deceived, and also to deceive 
myself. But I hope for better things — yea, sometimes 



286 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

I almost know it. I am certain of a great moral change 
taking place in my mind, and at times I have great 
reason to hope it is a spiritual one, as well. I know 
that of m^^self I can do nothing ; but self is mostly in 
the road. 

As Mr. Bradbury is waiting on me to take my letter 
to the post-office (at Richmond), I must conclude in a 
hurry, without expressing myself as clearly as I could 
w4sh. Mr. Bradbury has sold some land to Mr. Flem- 
ing, which adjoins the latter's property, for about 
twenty-eight hundred dollars, and has purchased some 
lots in town — Richmond — and intends to put up a 
frame house this summer, into which he thinks he wdll 
move this fall, so as to be convenient to a good school. 
I will write to you before I see you — I ma}^ go in two 
or three weeks. We are hardly ever quite well ; at least 
I am always complaining. I^ittle Martha is doing 
pretty well, but is more or less feverish everj^ day, in 
consequence of cutting teeth. She has one tooth 
through ; she can run about everywhere, and is uncom- 
monly active and alert ; she walked before she was nine 
months old, and is quite interesting and notedly smart. 
John ( Finley) called at our house last Saturday, and 
said all w^as well. I expect to be at Centerville one day 
next week. Your sincere brother, 

Andrew Finicky, Jr. 
To FloRx\ Finley, 

Springfield, Clark Co., O. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 28"; 



Hlkhorn, Wayne Co., Ixd., Feb. 2, 1839. 

( Six miles south of Eichmond.) 

Dear Frierid : 

I received your kind letter, and to let 3'ou know 
that I am greatly pleased that 3'ou have not forgotten 
me, I embrace the first opportunit}' to answer it. You 
wish me to inform you how I have spent my time since 
3'ou left us. That will not be difficult, for my employ- 
ment has been much the same as when you were here, 
except that I have been studying at home, some, this 
winter. We expect to move to Richmond in about 
two months, where we will have a better opportunity of 
attending school than is possible in the countr}^ There 
have been several changes in the neighborhood during 
the past year. Some of 3'our acquaintances have been 
married, some have moved away, and several have 
died. Minerva Larsh died the latter part of August, 
and her sister, Miranda, died in December, following. 
Mrs. Larsh has none of her daughters living with her, 
now, but Mercey. Miss Jane Hunt was married this 
winter, and also Miss Francina Sedgwick. Andrew 
and Mary ( Finley) have been living with us this win- 
ter. Andrew's health has been somewhat better this 
winter than it was last. Little Martha Agnes is learn- 
ing to talk, and I think will make as smart a girl as her 
Aunt Agnes. But I must come to a close, and leave 



288 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

some room for Susan to write. I hope your present 
letter will not be the last 3'ou will write me, if it was 
the first. All our famil}^, and mother, in particular, 
join with me in sending their sincerest love and kindh' 
greeting. I remain, as ever. 

Your sincere friend, 

Rebecca Bradbury. 



Dear Sister Agnes : 

Rebecca and I have adopted 3'our plan of writing 
two letters on one sheet. I must first — as it has been 
our usual custom — apologize for not writing sooner. 
This was owing to the dela}" of 3^our letter, dated 
December 19th, which I did not receive for at least 
three or four weeks after it was written. (This letter 
was mailed at Springfield, Ohio.) I have heard, how- 
ever, that John ( Finle}') has written one or two letters 
to "Pa," since, so that 3-0U cannot complain of not 
hearing, frequenth', from us. Andrew^ received a letter 
from "Pa" a few weeks since, from which we wxre 
sorr}' to learn that he is obliged to relinquish his busi- 
ness. We w^ere glad, notw^ithstanding, to hear that 3'ou 
have got a school in town, and hope that 3'OU will all 
tr3^ to do something towards helping to support the 
famil3\ I have been tr3'ing to get a school ever since 
I came here, and have at last succeeded in getting a 
small school, of fourteen or fifteen scholars, at two dol- 



POEMS AND .SKETCHES. 289 

lars per scholar, which I expect to commence next 
week. I expect to teach in an old house on Mr. John 
Hunt's farm. Though the school will be quite small, 
3^et it will be better than doing nothing. I hope that 
Jane or May, or both, are going to school and endeavor- 
ing to qualify themselves for teaching. I wish that 
they would pay particular attention to the study of 
arithmetic, for I find that a knowledge of that branch 
is of more use to a teacher than almost any other. 
Flora has been staying at John's for several weeks, and 
will probably remain there till spring. John's family 
were well the last time we heard from them. But it is 
time that I stop writing, for it is almost nine o'clock, at 
night. I believe Rebecca has told you all the news. 
Tell Caroline that she and William must write me a 
letter, that I may see how much they have improved in 
writing and composition. Give m}^ love to " Pa " and 
" Ma," and the rest of the family. I remain. 

Your sincere sister, 

Susan Finley. 
To Agnes Fineey, 

Springfield, Ohio. 



efs 



MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES. 



COURT-HOUSE REMOVAL. 



On the 14th day of August, 1873, the records of 
the county were removed from Centerville to this city, 
after having reposed there — the major part of them, 
at least — since the year 1822 : so says Norris Jones, 
who, when a boy, assisted in their removal from 
Salisbury (the first county-seat, and which has long 
since ceased to have an existence), and to-day, at the 
age of sixty-two, brought over the first load to Rich- 
mond." Henceforth this city will be the count3^-seat, 
if not the seat of justice. The loss to Centerville is a 
serious one — to us, a material gain. Here may it 
rest in peace. 

During the early days of November the material 
composing the new jail at Centerville, and likewise the 
iron fence surrounding the county buildings, were 
transferred to this city, to be re-constructed here. The 
removal was not effected without considerable opposi- 
tion by the people of Centerville, who, on several 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 291 

occasions, threatened, and did use, violence, in order 
to stay the removal, firing a six-pounder cannon, and 
other smaller fire-arms, at the men employed in taking 
down the buildings, etc. 



HOW RICHMOND MET A CRISIS. 



For the past ten days, or over, a singular malady 
has afflicted the equine family, as well as their long- 
eared brothers — not only here, but in every region of 
the United States and Canada — styled the epizootic, 
producing copious discharges from the nostrils, with 
enlarged sore throat, and other symptoms with which 
the writer is not familiar. The complaint usually lasts 
about two weeks, and does not very often prove fatal 
when the animal has been relieved from labor and 
properly cared for ; many have, however, died from 
the disease when the owner has continued to exact the 
customary service, after an attack. At the present 
date — November 30, 1872 — scarcely a horse in the 
city is entirely well, while some are convalescing, 
others are suffering from premonitory S3'mptoms of the 
disease. Of course, much serious inconvenience is 
experienced at the absence of so much useful motive 
power, and every conceivable device is resorted to, to 



292 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

suppl}' its place. The milk-man, the grocer, the 
baker and expressman, as well as the drayman and 
merchant, are alike sufferers. Some yoke or harness 
3^earling calves, cows, or sturdy oxen ; while man}^, 
lacking these, take truck, barrow or wagon in hand 
and manfull}' furnish their own motive power. Buggies 
and carriages are, of course, but seldom seen, and 
those who, lately, were too delicate to walk, now walk 
quite well. 



RICHMOND POSTMASTERS. 



A COMPI^ETE LIST OF ALL RICHMOND POSTMASTe:rS 
FROM 1818 TO 1897. 



The first postoffice in Richmond was established in 
18 18, and Robert Morrisson was commissioned as 
postmaster, the office being opened in a frame building 
at the southwest corner of Main and Fourth streets. It 
was next kept in a frame building on the northeast 
corner of Main and Fifth streets. The first regular 
arrival of mail in 18 18 was once ever}^ two weeks, but 
as it had to be carried on horseback, and high water 
was frequent and bad roads a draw-back, it often 
failed to get in oftener than once a month. The 
yearly receipts amounted to from ten to twelve dollars, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 293 

and the postmaster's salary for the first three months 
of his term was just seventy-five cents. It must be 
remembered that postage then was more than ten times 
the rate it now is. 

Daniel Reid, appointed by Jackson, served from 
1829 to 1836. The office was then on Fifth street, 
south of Main street, on the east side. 

James W. Borden, appointed by Jackson, served 
from 1836 to 1839. For a while the office was on the 
north side of Main street, between Fifth and Fourth. 

John C. Merrick, appointed by Van Buren, in 
1839, served one year. Office in the same place. 

Lynde Elliott, appointed by Van Buren, in 1840, 
only served one year. His office was on the north- 
east corner of Main and Fourth streets. 

In 1 84 1, President Harrison appointed Achilles 
Williams postmaster. He served two years, and his 
office was on Main street, opposite the Grand Hotel. 

Under Tyler's administration, Daniel D. Sloan was 
postmaster, from 1843 to 1846, with office in same 
room that his predecessor had. 

James Elder was appointed postmaster, by Polk, in 
1846, and served three years, with his office just east 
of where the Richmond National Bank stood. 

President Taylor commissioned Caleb R. Williams 
postmaster in 1849, and he served four years. The 
office during this time w^as on Main street, between 
Sixth and Seventh. 



294 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

James Elder was again commissioned, by Pierce, in 
1853, and served eight years. Part of this time the 
office was on the southwest corner of Sixth and Main. 

For the second time, in 1861, Achilles Williams 
was commissioned, by I^incoln. His office was on 
Main street, near Sixth, and he served until 1866. 

In 1866 Edwin A. Jones was appointed. He served 
three 3'ears, with his office on the southeast corner of 
Fifth and Main. 

Isaac H. Julian served two 3'ears, under Grant, 
from 1869 to 187 1, with the office in the same place. 

It was in 1871 that Benjamin W. Davis was 
appointed postmaster, by Grant. He served until 
1878, and about the first year of this time, or in 1871, 
he moved the office to the building where now stands 
the Bradley Opera House. 

Almon Samson was appointed, by Hayes, in 1878, 
and served four 3^ears. 

E. D. Palmer was appointed, b}^ Arthur, in 1882, 
and served three years. 

James Elder was commissioned, for the third time, 
in 1885, and died after serving one month. 

J. F. Elder took charge of the Richmond postoffice 
on January ist, 1886, and Isaac Jenkinson took charge 
of same on June ist, 1890. 

John G. Schwegman took charge February ist, 
1894. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 295 



DAVID HOOVER'S MEMOIR. 



I think it is Laurence Sterne, who sa^^s, that — 
among other things which he mentions — every person 
should write a book ; and as I have not yet done that, I 
am now going to write one. As it has always been 
interesting to me to read biographical sketches, and 
historical reminiscences of by-gone days, I have con- 
cluded that some information concerning myself and 
family, might, perhaps, amuse some of my descendants, 
at least. The name is pretty extensively scattered 
throughout this country ; such information ma}^ there- 
fore be of some interest to them, as it may enable them 
to trace back their genealogy to the original stock. 

I was born on a small water-course, called Huwaree, 
a branch of the Yadkin river, in Randolph county, 
North Carolina, on the 14th day of April, 1781 ; and 
am now^ in the seventy-third year of my age. It is 
customary, in personal sketches of this kind, to say 
something of one's parentage and education. I can 
only say that my parents were always considered very 
exemplary in all their walk through life. As to educa- 
tion, my opportunities were exceedingly limited ; and 
had it not been for my inclination and perseverance, I 



* This appears to have been written in 1854. 



296 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

should, in all probability, at this da}' be numbered 
among those who can scarcely write their names, or 
perhaps should only be able to make a X in placing 
my signature to a written instrument. In order to 
show the state of society in my early youth, and as an 
evidence of the intelligence of the circle in which I 
was raised, I can say of a truth that I never had 
an opportunity of reading a new^spaper, nor did I ever 
see a bank-note, until after I was a man grown. 

As to my ancestors, I know but little. If ni}^ 
information is correct, my grandfather, Andrew^ Hoover, 
left Germany when a boy ; married Margaret Fonts, in 
Pennsylvania, and settled on Pipe Creek, in Maryland. 
There my father was born ; and from thence, now 
about one hundred years ago, he removed to North 
Carolina, then a new country. He left eight sons and 
five daughters, all of whom had large families. Their 
descendants are mostly scattered through what w^e call 
the Western country. Rudolph Waymire, my grand- 
father on my mother's side, emigrated from Hanover, 
in Germany, after he had several children. He used 
to brag that he had been a soldier under His Britannic 
Majesty, and that he was at the battle of Dettingen, in 
1743.'^ He left one son and seven daughters by his 
first wife, and seven sons by a second wife. Their 
descendants are also mostly to be found in this country. 



* He also, it is said, served under Frederick the Great, of Prussia, in a 
certain compan}- into which no man was admitted, who was not some 
seven feet in height. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 297 

My father had a family of ten children, four sons 
six daughters.''^ In order to better our circumstances, 
he came to the conclusion of moving to a new country, 
and sold his possessions accordingly. He was then 
worth rising of two thousand dollars, which, at that 
time, and in that country, was considered very consid- 
erably over an average, in point of wealth. On the 
19th of September, 1802, we loaded our wagon and 
wended our way tow^ard that portion of what was then 
called the Northwestern Territory, which constitutes 
the present State of Ohio. 

Here permit me to make a passing remark. I was 
then in the twenty-second year of my age. I had 
formed an acquaintance and brought m3^self into notice 
perhaps rather more extensively than falls to the lot of 
most countr}^ boys. Did language afford terms adequate 
to describe my sensations on shaking hands with my 
youthful compeers, and giving them a final farewell, I 
would gladly do so. Suffice it to say, that those only 
who have been placed in like circumstances can appre- 
ciate my feelings on that occasion. And although I 
have lived to be an old man, and experienced the various 
vicissitudes attendant on a journey through life thus 



* Andrew Hoover, Judge Hoover's father, died about the close of the 
year 1834, aged about eighty-three years. It was stated in his obituary 
notice, that he had then over one hundred descendants. Except the eldest, 
who died young, his children were all living until March, 1857, the oldest 
survivor being seventy-eight, and the youngest fifty-eight years of age. 
In December, 1854, an interesting reunion of tliese brothers and sisters was 
had, at the house of one of their number, in Kichmond. 



298 FOEMS AND SKETCHES. 

far, I yet look back to that time as the most interesting 
scene through which I have passed. My mind, at this 
da}^, is often carried back to my early associations and 
school-bo}^ days, to my native hills and pine forests ; 
and I can trul}^ say that there is a kind of indescribable 
charm in the very name of m}^ natal spot, very different 
from aught that pertains to any other place on the globe. 
After about five weeks' journeying, we crossed the 
Ohio river at Cincinnati, then a mere village, composed 
mosth' of log houses. I think it was the day after an 
election had been held at that place, for delegates to the 
convention to form a constitution ; at am^ rate, a consti- 
tution was formed the following winter, which was 
amended only within the last few years. After cross- 
ing the river, we pushed on to Stillwater, about twelve 
miles north of Daj'ton, in what is now the count}^ of 
Montgomery. A number of our acquaintances had 
located themselves there the previous spring. There 
we encamped in the woods the first winter. The place 
had proved so unhealth}^ that we felt discouraged and 
much dissatisfied, and concluded not to locate there. 
My father then purchased two hundred acres of land, 
not far from Lebanon, in Warren county, as a home, 
until we could make further examinations. John Smith, 
afterward one of the proprietors of Richmond, pur- 
chased one hundred acres in the same neighborhood, 
with similar views. Our object was to find a suitable 
place for making a settlement, and where but few or 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 299 

no entries had been made. But a small portion of the 
land lying tv'est of the Great ^Nliami, or east of the 
Little Miami, was settled at that time. We were hard 
to please. We Carolinians would scarcely look at the 
best land, where spring water was lacking. Among 
other considerations, we wished to get further south. 
We examined divers sections of the unsettled parts of 
Ohio, without finding an}^ location that would please 
us. John Smith, Robert Hill, and m3^self, partiall}' 
examined the countr}^ between the Falls of the Ohio and 
A'incennes, before there was a line run in that part of 
the Territory, and returned much discouraged, as we 
found nothing inviting in that quarter. 

Thus, time passed on until the spring of 1806, when 
myself and four others, rather accidentalh^ took a sec- 
tion line some eight or ten miles north of Da3'ton, and 
traced it a distance of more than thirty miles, through 
an unbroken forest, to where I am now writing. It 
was the last of Februar}^, or first of ^larch, when I first 
saw Whitewater. On ni}' return to my father's, I 
informed him that I thought I had found the country 
we had been in search of. Spring water, timber, and 
building-rock appeared to be abundant, and the face of 
the country looked delightful. In about three weeks 
after this, my father, with several others, accompanied 
me to this "land of promise." As a militarj^ man 
would sa}', we made a reconnoissance, but returned 
rather discouraged, as it appeared, at that time, too far 



300 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

from home. Were it necessary, I might here state some 
of our views at that time, which would show up our 
extreme ignorance of what has since taken place. On 
returning from this trip, w^e saw stakes sticking among 
the beech trees where Eaton now stands, which was 
among the nearest approaches of the white man to this 
place. With the exception of George Holman and a 
few others, who settled some miles south of this, in the 
spring of 1805, there were but few families within 
twenty miles of this place. 

It was not until the last of May, or first of June, 
that the first entries were made. John Smith then 
entered south of Main street, where Richmond now 
stands, and several other tracts. My father entered the 
land upon which I now^ live, I having selected it on my 
first trip, and several other quarter sections. About 
harvest, of this same year, Jeremiah Cox reached here 
from good old North Carolina, and purchased where 
the north part of Richmond now stands. If I mistake 
not, it had been previously entered by John Meek, the 
father of Jesse Meek, and had been transferred to 
Joseph Woodkirk, of whom Jeremiah Cox made the 
purchase. Said Cox also entered several other tracts. 
Jeremiah Cox, John Smith, and my father, were then 
looked upon as rather leaders in the Society of Friends. 
Their location here had a tendencv of drawing others, 
and soon caused a great rush to Whitewater ; and land 
that I thought w^ould hardly ever be settled, was rapidl}^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. . 301 

taken up and improved. Had I a little more vanity, I 
might almost claim the credit (if credit it be)'^ of having 
been the pioneer of the great body of Friends now to be 
found in this region ; as I think it very doubtful 
whether three Yearly Meetings would convene in this 
county, had I not traced the line before mentioned. 

I was now in the twenty-fifth year of my age, and 
thus far had been rather a way-faring disciple, not doing 
much for myself or any other person. Having now 
selected a spot for a home, I thought the time had come 
to be up and doing. I therefore married a girl named 
Catharine Yount, near the Great Miami, and on the 
last day of March, 1807, reached, with our little plun- 
der, the hill where I am now living. It may not be 
uninteresting here to name some of the first settlers in 
the different neighborhoods. On the East Fork were 
the Flemings, Irelands, Hills, Wassons, and Maxwells. 
At the mouth of Hlkhorn were the Hunts, Whiteheads, 
and Endsleys. In this neighborhood were the Smiths, 
Coxes, Wrights, and Hoovers, several of whom com- 
menced operations in the woods, in the spring and 
summer of 1806. This may emphatically be said to 
have been the day of ' ' log cabins ' ' and log rollings ; 
and, although we were in an unbroken forest, without 
even a blazed pathway' from one settlement to another, 
w^e yet enjoyed a friendship and a neighborly inter- 
change of kind offices, which are unknown at this time. 



l presume Judge Hoover would not seriously question the fact. 



302 POEMS A XI) SKETCHES. 

Although we had to step on puncheon floors, and eat 
our corn bread and venison, or turkey- , off of broad 
pieces of spHt timber, and drive forks in one corner of 
our cabins, with cross timbers driven into the walls, for 
bedsteads, there was no grumbling or complaining of 
low markets and hard times. The questions of Tariff 
and National Bank were trulj^ ' ' obsolete ideas " ^^ in 
those days. It was the first week in April before some 
of us commenced operations in the woods ; but we 
mostly raised corn enough to do us. There was, how- 
ever, no mill to grind it, and for some weeks we gratedf 
all the meal we made use of. About Christmas, Charles 
Hunt started a mill, on a cheap scale, near the mouth 
of Elkhorn, which did our grinding until J. Cox estab- 
lished one near to where Richmond stands, and which 
now belongs to the Starr Piano Compan}^ 

The Indian boundary was at this time about three 
miles west of us. The Indians lived on White river, 
and were frequenth' among us. The}' at one time 
packed off 400 bushels of shelled corn, which they pur- 
chased of John Smith. In 18 10 a purchase was made, 



* Or rather, uuoriginated ideas. 

i Many persons at the present day may perhaps not comprehend the 
process referred to in the text. A grater was a sheet of tin, thickly per- 
forated, bent in a semi-circular form, and nailed to a piece of board, the 
rough side outward. On this the ears of corn, before becoming thoroughly 
hardened, were grated. The meal thus produced escaped down the board 
into the receptacle provided for it. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. ?m 

called the "Twelve-mile Purchase,"* and a goodly 
number settled on it before it was surveyed ; but the 
war of 1812 coming on, the settlers mostl}^ left their 
locations, and moved to places of more security. Those 
who remained built forts and ' ' block-houses. ' ' The 
settlers in this neighborhood mostly stood their ground, 
but suffered considerably with fever. George Shugart 
. then lived where Newport now stands, some miles from 
any other inhabitant. In the language of the Friends, 
he "did not feel clear" in leaving his home, and he 
manfully stood his ground, unmolested, f except by 
those whom we thenstjded the " Rangers," from whom 
he received some abuse for his boldness. The Indians 
took three scalps out of this county, and stole a number 
of horses. Candor, however, compels me to sa}", that, 
as is usuall}/ the case, we Christians were the aggres- 
sors. After peace was made, in 18 14, the twelve-mile 
purchase settled very rapidly. 

It will not be amiss, at this stage of our narrative, 
to state that when we first settled here, the now State 
of Indiana was called Indiana Territory, and we 
belonged to Dearborn county, which embraced all the 
territory purchased from the Indians at the treaty of 



* Among the first settlers of the twelve-mile purchase, rather in the 
vicinity of Centerville, were Daniel Xoland, Henry Bryan, Isaac Julian, 
William Harvey, Nathan Overman, and George Grimes. Other pioneers, 
whose names I can not now recall, were thinly scattered over other 
portions of the " purchase." 

i The same course was pursued, safely, by Louis Hosier, another pioneer 
of the " new purchase." 



304 POEMS AND SKETCHES, 

Greenville, extending from the mouth of Kentucky 
river to Fort Recovery. The counties of Wayne and 
Franklin were afterward formed out of the northern 
part of this territory.* Although Governor Harrison 
had the appointing power, he gave the people the 
privilege of choosing their own officers. An election 
was accordingl}^ held, when it was found that Peter 
Fleming, Jeremiah Meek and Aaron Martin were 
elected Judges ; George Hunt, Clerk ; and John 
Turner, Sheriff. County courts were then held by 
three associate judges, and count}^ business done before 
them. One of the first courts f held in this county, 
under the Territorial government, convened under the 
shade of a tree, on the premises then belonging to 
Richard Rue, Esq., Judge Park presiding, and James 
Noble, Prosecutor. In order to show the legal knowl- 
edge we backwoodsmen were then in possession of, I 
will relate the following case : A boy was indicted for 
stealing a knife, a traverse jur}^ was impanelled, and 
took their seats upon a log. The indictment was read, 
and, as usual, set out that the offender, W\\h force ajid 
arms, did feloniously steal, take, and carry awa^^, etc. 
After hearing the case, the jury retired to another log 
to make up their verdict, Jeremiah Cox, J one of the 



* Waj'ne county was organized in November, 1810. 

fThe first court held in Wayne county, as appears from the 
records, met at the house of Richard Rue, February, 1811. 

X Many anecdotes are in circulation of the simplicity of mind and 
character of friend Cox; but he has left the highest character: that 
of having been a genuine, practical Christian. 



POEMS A.W SKETCHES. 305 

jurors, and afterward a member of the convention to 
frame a constitution, and of the legislature, concluded 
they must find the defendant guilty, but he thought 
the indictment ' ' was rather foo dad for so small an 
offense." I suppose he thought the words "with 
force and arms" uncalled for, and thought rightly 
enough, too. 

Some further illustration of our legal knowledge, 
and the spirit of our legislation at this time, may be 
interesting. Although the Friends constituted a large 
portion of the inhabitants in this quarter, there were, 
in other parts of the county, men in whose craniums 
the militar}^ spirit was prett^^ strongl}^ developed, 
before the war of 1812 was declared. When that 
came on, this spirit manifested itself in all its vigor. 
The Friends were much harassed on account of their 
refusal to do military duty. Some were drafted and 
had their property sacrificed, and at the next call were 
again drafted and fined. Four young men were 
thrown into the county jail, during the most inclement 
cold weather ; fire was denied them until they should 
comply ; and had it not been for the humane feelings 
of David F. Sackett,^ who handed them hot bricks 
through the grates, they must have suffered severel3^ 
Suits were subsequently brought against the officers, 
for false imprisonment. The trials were had at Brook- 
ville, in Franklin county. They all recovered damages, 



*Foi' several years Recorder of Wayne county. 



306 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

but I have every reason to believe that the whole of 
the damages and costs was paid out of moneys extorted 
from others of the Friends. To cap the climax of 
absurdit}' and outrage, the gentlemen officers arrested 
an old man named Jacob Elliott, and tried him by a 
court-martial, for treason, found him guilty, and sen- 
tenced him to be shot ! but gave him a chance to run 
away in the dark, they firing off their guns at the same 
time. It w^ould fill a considerable volume to give a 
detailed history of the noble patriots of thOvSe days, and 
of their wisdom and valorous exploits ; but this must 
suffice. 

Connected with this subject, permit me a word 
respecting my own course. I think it is well known 
that, from first to last, I stood by the Friends like a 
brother (as I would again do under similar circum- 
stances), and used my influence in their favor; yet 
from some cause, best known to themselves, I have 
apparently lost the confidence and friendship of a good 
number of them. The most serious charge which has 
yet reached me is that I have not got "the true faith," 
and not that I have done anything wrong. Of this I 
do not complain, but must be permitted to say that 
their course towards me is rather gratuitous. I feel 
confident that they cannot, in truth, say that they have 
at any time received aught but disinterested friendship 
from me ; and if some of them can reconcile their 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 307 

course toward me with a sense of duty, and of doing 
by me as I have, at all times, done by them, I shall 
therewith be content. 

In 1816 we elected delegates to the convention 
which formed our late Constitution and named the 
State Indiana. On the third day of February follow- 
ing, I was elected Clerk of the Wajme Circuit Court, 
and, by favor of the voters of the county, held the 
office nearly fourteen years. I was prevented from 
serving out my full constitutional term of office, by a 
deceptive ruling of the court, which I have no fears 
will ever be hunted up as a precedent in a similar or 
an}' other case. 

I was almost the first man who set foot in this part 
of Wayne county, and have been an actor in it for 
more than forty years. It may not be out of place 
here for me to say that I feel conscious that I often 
erred through ignorance, and perhaps through willful- 
ness. Yet (and with gratitude be it spoken), it has 
fallen to the lot of few men to retain so long the 
standing which I think I still have among all classes 
of m}' fellow-citizens. I believe it is a privilege con- 
ceded to old men to boast of what they have been and 
what they have done. I shall therefore take the liberty 
of sa3'ing that I have now seven commissions by me, 
for offices which I have held, besides having had a 
seat in the Senate of this State for six years. 



308 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

I will add, that in the emplo}^ and under the direc- 
tion of John Smith and Jeremiah Cox, I laid off the 
city of Richmond, did all their clerking, wrote their 
deeds, etc. If I recollect rightly, it was first named 
Smithville, after one of the proprietors ; but that name 
did not give general satisfaction. Thomas Robbards, 
James Pegg and myself were then chosen to select a 
name for the place. Robbards proposed ' ' W.aterford ; ' ' 
Pegg, "Plainfield," and I made choice of "Richmond," 
which latter name received the preference of the lot- 
holders. 

I have some fears that the preceding remarks ma}' 
be looked upon as betraj^ing the vanit}' of an old man ; 
but I wish it distincth' understood that I ascribe the 
little favors which I have received more to surrounding 
circumstances, and the partiality of my friends, than to 
any qualifications or merits in mj^self . 

There are several other subjects connected with the 
early histor}- of Wa3'ne count}' on which I could 
dwell at some length. I could refer to the first dom- 
inant party, their arbitrary proceeding in fixing the 
county-seat at Salisbury, the seven years" war and 
contention which followed, ending with the final 
location of the shire- town at Center\dlle.^ But as the 
rival parties in that contest have mostly left the stage, 
and the subject is almost forgotten, I think it unneces- 
sarv to disturb it. 



'*The coiinty-seat was finall}' established at Centerville, in April, 1S20. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 309 

A lengthy chapter might be written on the improve- 
ments which have been made within the last fifty years 
in Wayne county (to sa}^ nothing of the rest of the 
world), in the arts and sciences generalh^ but as I do 
not feel myself competent to the task, I shall not 
attempt it. 

And now, in bringing this crude and undigested 
account of my experience to a close, short as it is, it 
gives rise to man}^ serious reflections. When I look 
back upon the number of those who set out in life with 
me, full of hope, and who have fallen b}' the wa}', and 
gone to that bourne from whence there is no returning, 
with not even a rude stone to mark the spot where 
their mortal remains are deposited, language fails me, 
and indeed there is no language adequate to the 
expression of my feelings. I shall therefore drop the 
subject, leaving the reader to fill up the blank in his 
own way. 

In conclusion, let me say a word about m}' politics 
and religion. In politics, I profess to belong to the 
Jeffersonian school. I view Thomas Jefferson as 
decidedly the greatest statesman that America has 3'et 
produced. He was the chief apostle of both political 
and religious liberty. ]My motto is taken from his first 
inaugural: "Equal and exact justice to all men" — 
and I will add : without calling in question their 
political or religious faith, country, or color. 



310 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

And here I wish it distinctly understood and 
remembered, that I stood ahiiost alone in this section 
of the State, in opposition to our ruinous system of 
internal improvements, concocted and brought about 
at the sessions of the lyCgislature in the years 1835 and 
1836, which resulted in the creation of a State debt 
which the present generation will not see paid, and 
which has verified that text in the old Book to the 
very letter, which says that the iniquities of the fathers 
are visited upon their children to the third and fourth 
generations. 

As to religion : 

Happy is he — the only happy man — 
AMio, from clioice, does all the good he can. 

" The world is my countr}^, and my religion is to 
do right." I am a firm believer in the Christian 
religion, though not as lived up to b}^ most of its 
professors of the present day. In the language of 
Jefferson, I look upon the " Christian philosophy as 
the most sublime and benevolent, but most perverted 
system that ever shone on man." I have no use for 
the priesthood, nor can I abide the shackles of sectarian 
dogmas. I see no necessity for confessions of faith, 
creeds, forms and ceremonies. In the most compre- 
hensive sense of the word, I am opposed to all wars 
and to slavery, and trust the time is not far distant 
when they will be numbered among the things that 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 311 

were, and viewed as we now look back upon some of 
the doings of what we are pleased to style the dark 
ages. In the language of Burns : 

"Then let us pray that come it may — 

As come it will, for a' that — 
Tliat sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, 

May bear the gree, and a' that. 
For a' that, and a' that. 

It 's coming yet, for a' that, 
Tiiat man to man, the world o'er. 

Shall brothers 1)6, for a' that." 



A RELIC OF WAR TIMES. 



carrier's address of 1864. — ITS REFERENCES 
EXPLAINED. 



To the Editor of the PalUflinm: 

The sheet of poetry which comes to you with this 
letter is somewhat of a relic, serving as a reminder of 
war times, and as an illustration of one phase of countr}^ 
*' newspaperism , " a quarter of a centurj^ ago. 

I believe it was the last Carrier's New Year's 
Address issued in Richmond. It belonged to the cus- 
toms of the newspaper business before the advent of 
the modern and metropolitan science of " journalism." 

The poem was written by a lad}^ residing in this 
city (then and now), but before she had attained even 



812 POEMS AXn SKETCHES. 

State reputation as a writer of verse. Within the 3'ears 
since the date of that Address, she has produced many 
beautiful things, and her name is oftenest spoken first 
whenever the attempt is made to give a Hst of Indiana 
poetesses. 

Her best poems — for we onl}' do her justice when 
we sa}' that the Hnes under consideration are not her 
best — come when the heart is moved. This poem was 
written ''to order," to supply a demand. Yet, even 
in this, the heart shows itself, for it reflects the prevail- 
ing feelings of the hour — patriotism, self-denial, 
patience, anxiety, sorrow. Everything written in those 
days must have a patriotic avowal. These lines meet 
that expectation. It was far into the third year of the 
war, and the continuation and the result were still 
problematic. 

The situation was contemplated with all seriousness, 
and seriousness is the plainest characteristic of the 
poem. Its writer had no place for mirth, nor an}' desire 
to be merely amusing. The over-ruling thought, in this 
particular, is apth' expressed in the opening lines of an 
address written b}' Forcej^the Willson, and published 
one 3'ear before, in the I^omsviWe/ou/yia/ : 

The carrier can not sing, to-day, the ballads 
With which he used to go, 

Rhyming the grand rounds of the Happy Xew Year? 
That are now beneath the snow. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 313 

For the same awful and portentous shadow 
That overcast the earth, 

And smote the land, last year, with desolation, 
Still darkens every hearth. 

The address was carried and sold by your corres- 
pondent, who took the contract to assist the regular 
carrier in that enterprise. At sundown, the night 
previous, a heav}^ snow^ storm blew up, and next morn- 
ing there w^as a foot of snow^ on the ground, and the 
thermometer registered twenty degrees below zero at 
sunrise. 

"The improvements, vast, on every side," were 
ver}^ insigfiificant, compared with improvements since 
made. The west corners of Eighth and Main streets 
were occupied by one-story shanties. Other localities, 
with similar structures, and the w^hole town in propor- 
tion. The town was much smaller than now, as ma}^ 
be supposed, for the Roberts farm and the eastern part 
of the Starr farm had not then been platted into lots. 
The regular route of the carrier, for the delivery of the 
weekly (there was no daily in town then), extended to 
Eleventh and North D, in that direction ; to the park, 
on South Tenth ; to South E, on Fifth street (then 
called Pearl); and the "Spring Foundry" (Gaar, 
Scott & Co.'s), on the northw^est. Subscribers residing 
outside these limits must call at the printing office, or 
receive their copies through the mail. The office of 
the Palladium was, that winter, at No. 404 Main street, 



:U4 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

near Fourth. In the spring of 1864 it was removed to 
"Warner Hall," over the Mayor's office. Crossings 
of Main with Fifth and Sixth streets (old Pearl and 
Marion) were regarded as the " centers " of town. 

The reference to the " Farmers of Wayne," in the 
eleventh stanza, and again in the fifteenth, deserves an 
explanation. Read the tenth stanza : 

" But while we tell of brave men on the field, 
We'll not forget the kind and true at home — 
Whose generous gifts, to all the needy poor, 
You'll not find equaled, wheresoe'er you roam." 

The winter that preceded the one in which this 
Address was written — the winter of 1862-63 — was a 
severe one upon man}^ families w^hose supporters and 
providers were away, fighting for the Union. Many 
families of soldiers, residing in the country and in 
smaller towns, had moved into Richmond for the sake 
of company and safety, and to be within the reach of 
relief, if it should be needed. Hundreds of the wives, 
children, and other dependents of the soldiers, made 
Richmond their home during the period of their hus- 
bands' and fathers' enhstments. The organized aid 
societies could not meet all the demands. Nor was the 
public fund, disbursed by the township trustee, equal to 
the deficiency. When the winters threatened to be 
long and severe, our town was likel}^ to be the scene of 
extended and serious suffering. The winter of 1862- 
63 was of that character. Much anxiety was felt and 



POEMS AXD SKErCIIES. 315 

expressed. It must not be thought that the reUef 
extended to soldiers' famiUes was, in any sense, akin to 
the common charity extended to the ordinary indigent. 
It was in no sense a pauper reUef. The obUgation to 
see that the famihes of the soldiers were not allowed to 
suffer, was as much a part of the compensation of the 
volunteers as tlie bounty paid them for enlisting. It 
was clearl}" understood, b}^ those who volunteered, that 
their wives, children and dependants were to be cared 
for, in case of necessit}^, b}' those who remained at 
home. Hence, any aid rendered could be accepted b}' 
the families of soldiers without any feelings of humili- 
ation. This manner of part compensation was as 
clearh' understood by the volunteers, as if named in 
the specifications of their enlistment, and it was as 
faithfully performed, b}' those who remained at home, as 
if bound upon them by contract or statute. Special pro- 
vision was necessar}', in the second winter of the war. 
Suddenly and unexpectedh', one morning in January, 
1863, twenty-five wagons, loaded with wood, and one 
with flour, meal, potatoes, etc., appeared on the streets 
of Richmond. They were from the farmers in the 
neighborhood of Middleboro, six miles northeast of the 
cit}^ and were intended as " aid and comfort " for sol- 
diers' families. A band of musicians volunteered their 
services, and, hoisting the national flag, the donation 
was paraded through the streets, and then delivered 
■where needed. 



310 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

On Saturday, February 14, a delegation came from 
Boston township, bringing more than sixty cords of 
wood, three thousand pounds of flour and meal, besides 
other provisions. A spirit of emulation or rivalry, in 
this good work, was soon developed, and the various 
neighborhoods, in the vicinity of Richmond, competed 
with each other in bringing contributions of this char- 
acter. On the 28th of February the farmers residing 
along and near the National road (or Eaton pike), east 
from town, brought, in a long procession, ninety- two 
cords of wood, over two thousand pounds of flour, forty 
bushels of corn-meal, six bushels of potatoes, etc. That 
procession filled Main street for eight blocks. 

The following Monday the rival procession of 
farmers residing along and near the National road 
west from town, came in. It has never been decided 
which of these contributions was the larger. Both 
parties claimed the palm. 

The Middleboro farmers, having started these gen- 
erous outpourings, concluded to put a finishing touch 
to the work for this season, so on the 28th of March 
they came into town with a train of wagons nearly a 
mile long. Residents of Whitewater and Franklin 
townships joined their neighbors of Middleboro. The 
farmers along the lyiberty turnpike also brought in a 
contribution. A new feature attended this demonstra- 
tion. Fresh beef and poultry were brought in, sold on 
the streets to citizens, and the proceeds given to the 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 317 

aid fund. In this waj^ $192 were realized. One hun- 
dred and t\vent3'-eioht cords of wood, over two 
thousand pounds of flour, and se vent}-- five bushels of 
meal, besides other provisions, were contributed, the 
whole donation amounting, in money value, to nearly 
$1,300. The influence of these acts extended to other 
towns and cities. Among the towns in this county, 
Centerville received a large donation on the 19th of 
March, 1S63. 

This commendable practice was revived the follow- 
ing autumn, and continued in the last winter of the 
war. On the 23rd of December, 1864, four competing 
delegations entered town from the four sides. The 
total of these contributions was two hundred and fort\'- 
two cords of wood. 

Such acts were, indeed, worth}^ to be the theme of 
the poet. - M. 

CARRIER'S ADDRESS, 



TO THE PATRONS OF THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM, 
JANUARY ], 1864. 

Dear friends of yore, I come again to greet you, 

Thougli months have passed since last I sang my song, 

And smihng faces that were wont to meet me 
Are missing, and no more to earth belong. 

Stih, to the dear old friends wliom I remember — 
AVhose kindly acts have cheered me on my way — 

I give my hand, and may a happy New Year 
Be yours, without one sorrow-cldudod day I 



318 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Since last I sang to you, in jingling nujnbers, 
A year has rolled its changes o'er the land, 

And yet peace hath not spread her snowy pinions, 
Xor yet return our nol)le, patriot hand. 

And many, many noble forms are sleeping 
Low, 'neath the sod upon the battle plain, 

And many weary eyes to-day are weeping, 
And dim with watching, waiting, all in vain; 

And over all our land, wliere'er we wander, 
Woe's sable garb Ave meet on everj- side — 

The garb of highest honor to the wearer, 

Whose best-loved, for his country, fought and died. 

Though many noble braves have fallen in glory, 
Where the red tide of carnage thickest run, 

"Many are left to tell the thrilling story 

Of how they fought, from dawn till setting sun. 

Bright be their names on glory's scroll engraven. 
And every scar a badge of honor, fair ; 

No diamond-studded crown, worth half a kingdom. 
So nobly, proudly could our heroes wear ! 

But through our long-linked months of Polar darkness 
Bright streaks of dawn begin to make their way, 

And many joyful messengers of peace 
Proclaim the coming of a brighter day — 

When the bright, starry flag that floats above us 
Shall claim its own, and w^ave o'er all the land, 

And we may welcome home our war-worn heroes, 
And join again the broken household band. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 319 

But while we tell of brave men on the field, 
We'll not forget the kind and true at home — 

Whose generous gifts, to all the needy poor, 
You '11 not find equaled, wheresoe'er you roam. 

Then a song for the farmers of Wayne, 

For the old and for the young ! 
A shout as loud, and a song as high. 

As ever in praise was sung I 

For never on Victory's battle-field 

Were braver hosts arrayed 
Than they, whose offerings, bountiful. 

On their country's altar have laid. 

Sound it over the saddened land. 

That other true hearts may know 
The way to strengthen the soldier's arm 

To strike the trait'rous foe ; 

The way to lift from the weary heart 

A weight of burdening care. 
And send, with blessings, their name on higii, 

In many a thankful prayer. 

Long may they live, in plenty and peace — 

The noble farmers of Wayne — 
And finally meet their just reward. 

Where peace shall eternally reign I 



Our city 's in most prosperous condition — 
Improvements, vast, we meet on every side ; 

In fact, there 's not a doubt about the matter — 
'Tis Indiana's highest boast and pride. 



^20 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Our ladies are most beautiful and loyal — 

F'orever working in the cause of right ; 
Our men are foremost in the field of battle, 

Facing the foe in every deadly fight. 

But, lest I tire you with too long a story — 
Which has l)een sad, I fear, from first to last — 

I '11 point you to the brightly coming future, 
Forgetting not the lessons of the past ; 

And hoping ere next New Year's morn I greet you, 
That peace shall long have dwelt throughout the land ; 

Hoping and trusting all things, fearing never, 
Farewell, my friends — here is my parting hand. 

But, stop ! I'll merely mention, ere I go. 
What, between us, I hope will raise no barrier: 

That I accept all fractional paper currency. 
And that — I hox>e you won't forget 

The Careier, 



efs 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 321 



SOME COUNTY HISTORY. 



From the Hagerstown Exponent^ November 19, 1891. 

Joseph Williams, aged eighty-five years, and form- 
erly of Economy, died at Richmond, Wednesday last, 
and was buried at Economy on Friday, funeral services 
by the Rev. W. C. Bowen, from whom we learn that 
Mr. Williams was one of the early pioneers of this sec- 
tion, having settled in the woods, in the Jordan settle- 
ment, north of here, over sixty years ago. This section 
received its first settlers in 1822, when Joseph Bowen, 
Benjamin Parson ; Rev. Samuel Taylor, a Baptist 
preacher, who died with the cholera in 1833 ; David 
Miller, a Dunkard preacher ; John Hardman ; Aaron 
Miller, who settled on the old Petty farm ; John 
McIyUcas and Hugh Allen, all came about the same 
time and bought land at $1.25 per acre, and settled in 
the woods. At that time there was not a house in all 
this section ; not even where Hagerstown stands. There 
were a few Indians here yet, and deer, bears and other 
wild game was quite numerous. Soon after the first 
settlers were established in homes, others came in, and 
it was not long till four church organizations were 
made. The first organization was composed of a Bap- 
tist congregation, started in a log house where the 



:522 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Baptist church, called Salem, now stands. The second 
church organized was a New-Light congregation, and 
held meetings in a log school house that stood two miles 
south of this place. Among those who were members 
of that congregation, Mrs. Miller, mother of Sol. Mil- 
ler, is the only one that is now living. Their first 
preacher was Samuel Boyd, who was a Revolutionary 
soldier. The third church to organize was the Metho- 
dist ; they organized in Joseph Bowen's house, and 
among the first members were Joseph Manifold, Benja- 
min Parson and wife, Samm}" Pollard and John Doan. 
The fourth were the Dunkers, generally known now as 
the "Dunkards;" the}^ organized in John Ritter's 
house, which is still standing, being the old log house 
that stands a short distance east of E. B. Rejmolds" 
present home. Among their first members were Ritter, 
John Hardman and David Hardman ; David and Aaron 
Miller were their first preachers. These were the four 
churches that occupied the entire religious field from 
1822 to 1830. The Methodists and Dunkers all wore 
plain clothing, and the Methodists would not license a 
preacher who refused to wear plain Quaker clothing. 
Class meetings were held with closed doors, and the 
Dunkers and New-Lights washed feet at church ser- 
vices, regularly, everj^ three months. The Methodist 
ministers always preached from one hour to an hour 
and a half, and the Baptist sermons often lasted two 
hours and a half, and members complained when the 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 323 

sermons were short. The Methodists held a revival 
every , preaching da}-. The first " squire " elected was 
named Bedford, whose first case was a quarrel between 
two neighbors, over the shooting of a dog ; each man 
had a lawj^er ; Bedford dismissed the case because he 
could find no dog cases in his law book, and divided 
the costs of the case between plaintiff and defendant. 
Old Saulsbur}^, six miles south of Richmond, was the 
first count3^-seat of this count3\ In those early days 
there were no saloons, but whisky was used freeh^ in 
almost all houses, and not even a preacher could get 
his harvest cut unless he supplied a liberal supply of 
rum. There were no divisions or classes of society, as 
now — all mingled, socialh', on a common ground. 
"Big dinners" were common, and every one in the 
community was invited. At the weddings the preacher 
kissed the bride, and the old folks all went home soon 
after supper, while the 3'oung people always indulged 
in sports of some kind, all night. When the organiza- 
tion of a Sunday-school was first proposed, the idea 
was strongly opposed by man}' church members, and 
on account of such oppositions, there were no such 
schools till in 1836. In 1840 the Washingtonian tem- 
perance movement was started, and in 1854 the legis- 
lature passed the Maine temperance or prohibition law, 
but it was pronounced unconstitutional in less than a 
year. The first sermon ever preached in Hagerstown 
was by John Kiger, a Methodist, who is still living, and 



824 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

is ninety years of age. The second sermon was by 
John Sullivan, a Methodist minister ; he organized a 
church, among the first members of which were Greens- 
bury Savoy and wife, Bazel Taylor and wife, Worlej^ 
Williamson and wife, Ezra Doughty and Elijah Castator. 



■^ 



HISTORICAL. 



RECOLLECTIONS 



AWAKENED IN THE MIND OF A FORMER RESIDENT BY 

THE BURNING OF THE CENTERVII.LE SCHOOI.- 

HOUSE. — A BIT OF HISTORY. 



San Marcos, Texas, Nov. 9, 1891. 

Editor the Telegram: 

I noticed the account in your columns of the burn- 
ing of the pubHc school building at Centerville. It 
awakened many recollections in my mind, and, though 
rather too late to give them in detail, as I would like 
to, I am unwilling to let the occasion pass without 
adding somewhat to the facts given by you, for, as you 
sa}^ the building possessed great historic interest. 

The name and style of the original building was 
"Wayne County Seminary." My first recollection 
dates back to 1834, when, a small boy, I accompanied 
my oldest brother, John, who was one of the actors, to 
witness a performance of the ' ' Centerville Thespian 
Society," in the upper story. 



326 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Among the early teachers of the Seminar}^, prior to 
Mr. Hoshour, my memor}^ recalls the name of Royal 
T. Wheeler, afterwards Chief Justice of the Republic 
of Texas ; Georg-e Fairchild, James B. Haile, Nathan 
Smith, and G. Smith, a Methodist preacher, brought 
up a few miles above Richmond. 

Mr. Hoshour took charge in 1836, and continued 
four years. It was to his administration that most of 
the pupils, of more or less note, whom 3^ou enumerate, 
belonged. But 3^ou are mistaken as to one — George 
W. Julian — he was not a pupil of the Seminar}^, but, 
after the usual country school probation, graduated at 
Friends' school, hard b}^ West Grove meeting-house. 
I notice in Mr. Hoshour 's autobiograph}^ an addition 
to your list, in the person of Mr. Rariden's protege — 
the son of a Miami chief — mention of whose death I 
noticed not long since. I remember him well. I am 
not sure as to the succession after Mr. Hoshour, but 
Rawson Vaile occupied that position during several 
3^ears of the forties ; he was, I think, the last teacher 
in the Seminary. 

Of the earl}^ teachers, there were, also, editors, viz : 
Mr. Haile, of the People' s Advocate ; Mr. Hoshour, of 
the Wayne County Chronicle, and Mr. Vaile, of the 
Free Territory Sentinel and the Indiana Free Democrat. 

I think 3^ou are mistaken as to the date of transfer 
to the Methodists ; at any rate, I find the name changed 
to " Whitew^ater College and Whitewater Academy," 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 327 

with Thomas H. Lynch in charge, in 1849. In 1850 
Cyrus Nntt and James A. Beswick were called to the 
position, and the institution was known as "White- 
water Female College and Academy." The two 
following 3'ears were the palm}^ ones of its histor}'. 
The first commencement, in the summer of 1851, 
passed off with great eclat. The society of young 
ladies of the institution, known as the " Sigournean 
Society," was realh^ quite brilliant in its personale. 
The first graduates were Misses Gertrude Newman 
and Kate Woods. The next session turned out about 
a dozen. 

I shall not undertake to trace regularly the further 
course of Whitewater College. In 1858 A. C. Short- 
ridge was the principal, his chief assistant being Miss 
Emih^ Huntington, a Connecticut lady — since, as 
Emil}' Huntington Miller, an authoress of note. She 
resides at Evanston, Illinois. During the early years 
of the war, William H. Barnes presided. He was a 
scholarly gentleman, author of a "History of the 
Thirt3'-ninth Congress" and other works of value. 
Having removed to Richmond at the beginning of 
1864, ni}^ recollections along this line close here. 

Isaac H. Julian. 



528 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



A TRIP TO CiVLlFORNIA. 



HOW IT WAS MADE FIFTY YKARS AGO. 



SAMUEL CALDWELL MEREDITH, FORMEBLY OF WAYNE COUNTY, RELATES 

THE INCIDENTS OF A MEMORABLE JOURNEY— GOLDEN 

STATE PRICES. 



In the winter of 1849 the late Andrew F. Vaughan, 
of this city, Daniel Storms, of Hagerstown, and Samuel 
Caldwell Meredith, of Centerville, agreed to go to Cali- 
fornia together, aid each other on the way, and care for 
each other, if any got sick. And now the last men- 
tioned of the trio, who is the father of William H. Mere- 
dith, superintendent of the government bureau of print- 
ing and engraving, and who had himself been in the 
newspaper business at Centerville, since 1835, has 
written up the trip, at considerable length, for the 
Indianapolis jVews, from which the Telegram takes 
the following quoted extracts : 

In 1835 Mr. Meredith started the People' s Advocate 
in Centerville. It was Democratic in politics, did not 
pay, and he changed it to the Wayne Count}^ Chronicle, 
which was a Whig paper. Then Mr. Meredith removed 
to Illinois, and it was succeeded by the National Patriot, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 329 

which failed. Next, in 1841, Mr. Meredith started the 
Wayne County Record, which, old printers say, has 
never been surpassed, for typographical appearance, in 
this county. During his absence in California, it, as 
the Whig organ, was conducted by D. B. Wood and 
John B. Stitt. Subsequently Mr. Wood went to Cali- 
fornia, where he was killed, and Mr. Meredith returned 
to resume the publication of it, but it lost money, and 
in 1852 he sold it to D. P. Hallo way, of the Richmond 
Palladium, and removed to Indianapolis, which has 
since been his home. 

In the beginning of his narration, Mr. Meredith 
says : " Stonns went to see friends in Ohio, and was 
to meet Vaughan and myself at the Gault House, in 
Cincinnati. I left Centerville early, on the morning of 
October 24, in a spring- wagon, for Richmond, and from 
there went to Cincinnati in an omnibus. On October 
26 we procured passage on a steamboat to New Orleans 
for $20, and left Cincinnati on the 27tli, at 3 o'clock, 
arriving in New Orleans November 5. On November 
14 we got a passage on the steamship Alabama, for 
Chagras, at $45, and arrived there on November 23. 
We paid $10 each for a canoe to carry us to Gorgonna. 
^ ^ Here we hired mules or horses to carry our bag- 
gage to Panama. We left Gorgonna on November 29, 
at 8 o'clock. Two trunks and several small packages 
constituted a load for one horse. We went on foot, 
and didn't let the baggage get out of our sight. -'^ -'^ 



330 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

" Arriving at Panama, I met Colonel Elliott, who 
informed me that Dr. Waymann, Hiatt Jemison and 
others, who had left Wayne count3^ four weeks before 
I did, were there. I found that living was high, the 
health bad, and that there was no chance of getting 
passage in a steamer for several months, so that we had 
better go in a sail vessel. The fine ship, Sea Queen, 
of Dundee, Scotland, was to leave on the next Tues- 
day. We were advised to purchase second-hand tickets 
from speculators, and go with all our Indiana friends. 

" We procured, from speculators, tickets on the Sea 
Queen, at $250 each, and on the 4th of December w^ent 
on board. -^ ^^ On the 9th of Januarj^, 1850, the 
ship ran into the entrance of the harbor at San Fran- 
cisco, at 4 o'clock in the evening, and, after the anchor 
w^as cast, the passengers manifested their joy b}^ giving 
three cheers, and three times three. I found a board- 
ing house, the price being $18 a week, the best I could 
find. I was very thankful that I had been permitted 
to get on shore, after the many dangers through which 
I had passed, from home to the Golden Gate. 

"In a letter to my family, dated San Francisco, 
January 14, 1850, there are these expressions: ' B}^ 
the blessing of Divine Providence I have been per- 
mitted to put my feet upon the shores of California. 
Labor here, of all kinds, is high. One dollar an hour 
for w^ork on some of the streets, in the mud ; for wheel- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 331 

ing sand down hill, in a dry place, 50 cents an hour. 
Sweet potatoes sell here for 25 cents a pound ; Irish 
potatoes, 20 cents; onions, $1.25 ; vinegar, 50 cents a 
quart ; brandy, $1.25 a quart. I saw a horse, not half 
as good as James Pritchett's, sell for $150 ; another 
horse, just arrived from New South Wales, for $1 ,300, in 
Centerville would be $60 to $75 ; another horse, from 
the same place, sells for $700. I have seen better look- 
ing sell for $30 or $40. Rent for a house, about like 
Dinwiddle's shop, but not so good, $4,000 a month. 
A room, like our smoke-house, $50 a week. Flour, per 
hundred, $12 ; per barrel, $20 ; fresh pork, 50 cents to 
75 cents a pound ; beef, 25 cents to 50 cents a pound ; 
butter, from $1 to Si. 50 per pound; sugar, 30 cents ; 
coffee, i2}4 cents ; cheese, 30 cents to 40 cents ; tallow 
candles, 60 cents ; bread, 30 cents for a small loaf ; 
pies, $1, and not good at that ; wood, $40 a cord, $1 
for an armful ; small premium cook stove, $100 ; molas- 
ses, $2.50 per gallon. I saw a deer, with the hide on, 
sell for $40 ; wild geese, $2 ; ducks, $1. Eggs have 
fallen very much ; they are now worth 25 cents each ; 
a month ago they were worth $1 each.. Tin cups, 25 
cents each ; coarse boots, from $12 to $20 a pair, such 
as I can buy at home for $1.50 or $3 a pair ; silk hand- 
kerchiefs, 75 cents to $1, a fine article, and other things 
in the same proportion. The papers here cost 12, 25 
and 50 cents each.' 



332 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

" I left Centerville October 24, and arrived in San 
Francisco on January 1 1 , being eighty days, at a cost 
of $412. 

"Now, in 1 89 1, persons can go in a palace car, 
have all the luxuries of a fine hotel and sleeping cars, 
for $100." 

And now, in 1896, a round-trip ticket may be had 
for a little over $100, with the privilege of a six 
months' sta}'. Verily, times have changed. 



-^ 



WESTERN SKETCHES. 



AN OLD-TIME ELOPEMENT 



To the Indianapolis Journal: 

x\bout the year 1817 there came from Kentucky to 
Wayne county, Indiana, a 3'oung man by the name of 
John Bailey. He was industrious, active and thrifty, 
and in those primitive times acquaintances were readih* 
made throughout the entire settlement. It was not 
long before John was a favorite at corn-huskings, 
apple-cuttings, quiltings, and wool-pickings, and, what 
would naturally follow, he was soon desperateh' in 
love, the object of his devotion being the daughter of 
one of his neighbors, Mr. Lamb, whose residence 
was on Greensfork, between where the towns of 
Washington and Williamsburg, Wayne count}', are 
now located. But "the course of true love never did 
run smoothh'," and in this case, although John was 
favored with Pats^^'s love and esteemed b}- the best 
men in the community, he met with a stern and posi- 
tive refusal on the part of the parents. 



334 POEMS AXI) SKETCHES. 

He was called awa}^ to his old home in Kentuckj^ 
a journey which, in those days, required considerable 
time. As "star routes," like railroads, were then 
unknown in this State, he could have no word from 
Pats}' during his absence. 

" With many a vow and locked embrace, 
Their parting ^yas fu' tender." 

John was detained at his old home in Kentucky 
much be3'ond the time appointed for his return, and 
when he arrived again at the home in the forests of 
Wayne county, he learned that Pats}" had promised to 
become the wife of another, and that the day appointed 
for the marriage was a week from that time, the 
license having been already procured. If "love 
laughs at locks and keys," what would it do in a 
countr}^ where locks and ke3^s were all unknown ?' 

John was determined to see, once more, the object 
of his affection, regardless of father's frown or mother's 
anger. Accordingly, on Sunday evening, he went to 
the home of her whom he feared had proved forever 
faithless. There he met the happ}' man who had, as 
he supposed, supplanted him in the affections of the 
young Hoosier lass. There was but one room in the 
house, and John had no opportunitj- to speak with 
PatS3^ Unwilling to abandon so good a cause, how- 
ever, without one more desperate effort to effect his 
purpose, he remained over night. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 33> 

While the family slept, he lay with one eye open. 
In the stillness of the night Patsy slipped quietly to 
his bed-side, and whispered to him the story of her 
thraldom. She was to be an unwilling bride, in four 
days from that time. John's courage did not fail him, 
but he said, "Meet me at Billy W.'s to-morrow." 
She promised ; but alas ! when the girl came, her 
father accompanied her and refused to allow her to 
see John. The situation was now becoming desperate ; 
but John proved equal to the emergency, and arranged 
with a mutual friend to notify Patsy that he would be 
at a place agreed upon, near her father's house, on 
Tuesda}^ before the day arranged for her marriage to 
his rival. He had brought with him from Kentucky a 
splendid horse, full of spirit, and of great power of 
endurance. 

At the appointed time John appeared at the place 
designated, mounted upon his good horse, ' ' Ball. ' ' 
Patsy saw him, and picked up a bucket and started to 
the spring, as all supposed, for a bucket of water. She 
had not gone half way to the spring, however, until, in 
her haste and excitement, she dropped the bucket and 
started to run. It was mid- winter, and a heavj' snow 
covered the ground. She lost her bonnet before she 
reached the fence, where Ball stood, ready to receive 
his precious load. But, all unconscious of her loss, 
with her hair streaming in the winter wind like a flag 
at half-mast, she continued the flight. 



330 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Her mother discovered the furtive at this time, 
and started in hot pursuit. John always declared that 
Patsy never, before nor since, mounted Ball so nimbh^ 
as on that occasion, and that Ball never walked up- to 
the fence so readily. The nearest settlement to which 
the}^ could fi}^ was seven miles distant, and through an 
almost unbroken wilderness. 

When Pats}' was fairl}' mounted behind John, the 
race began in earnest, Ball taking in the situation at a 
glance. He laid back his fineh^ formed ears and turned 
his splendid e3^es upon them, as much as to say, ' ' Hold 
on to me, and I will carr}^ you safel}^ through the perils 
of the journe3^" And the}' did hold on to him, and 
most nobly did he do his diit}^ Over hills and through 
streams he sped like an arrow, " his nostrils drinking 
in the breath of their own swiftness." With ever}' 
jump he appeared to laugh defiance at his pursuers, 
who soon abandoned the chase. , Before nightfall they 
stopped and borrowed such articles of clothing as were 
necessar}' for the journey. They then pursued their 
way through the forest for several miles, stopping over 
night w^ith the father of the late Jehu T. Elliott, Judge 
of the Supreme Court of Indiana, and at an early hour 
the next morning they again mounted old Ball and 
resumed their way to Salisbury, then the county-seat 
of Wayne county, but now a well cultivated corn-field, 
there not being one stone left upon another where once 
flourished that town. By 9 o'clock the next morning 



FOE.VS AND SKETCHES. 337 

they had procured the necessary license, and were 
married b}^ a local preacher then living in the place. 
In the course of a week the}^ returned to the vicinity of 
the home of the young wife's parents, where they were 
hailed with greater delight than a hero of a hundred 
battles would now be greeted. 

John and Pats^' lived in that communit}^ for more 
than sixt}^ years, bringing up a large famih^ of honest 
and intelligent sons and daughters, all of whom are 
married. Their children, grandchildren and great- 
grandchildren are scattered over many counties of 
Indiana, and are known as among the good people 
of the State. E. B. H. 

Cambridge City, Ixd., May i, 1884. 



EARLY RAILROAD HISTORY AT RICHMOND, 

INDIANA. 



[ A brief statement of some facts relating to the early history of 
the Indiana Central Railroad at Richmond, Indiana ; written, at the 
I'equest of an official of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, to be 
placed in an exhibit at the World's Fair, Chicago, Illinois. Written 
October, 1892.] 

Mr. J. E. Watkins, Special Agent ^ Altoona, Pa. : 

Dear Sir — In compliance with j^our request of a 
recent date, to furnish such information and relics per- 
taining to the early history of the " Central road" — 
now a part of the Pennsylvania system — as I ma}^ be 



338 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

in possession of, I have to sa}' that, after a lapse of 
nearl}^ fort}^ 3^ears, there is comparatively little left, of 
either information or relics, that is obtainable here. 
Much of the former has been blotted out by time, and 
few of the latter have been preserved. Most of the 
older people who took an active part in the affairs of 
the time have departed to that bourne from which no 
traveler returns, and of the few remaining ones whom 
I have seen I can obtain little definite or satisfactory 
information of value ; and as I was then but little 
more than a boy, struggling to obtain a livelihood on a 
meagre salary, and all my time occupied in the service 
of others, I had neither the opportunit}^ nor inclination 
to become informed about the leading enterprises of 
the day. 

Some time previous to the 3'ear 1850, the people of 
this region of countrj^ began to be interested in the 
construction of railroads, as 3'ou will see b}' the list of 
names attached to the enclosed ticket of invitation, 
which tells its own stor}-. The names are leading ones, 
and on that account, alone, ma}^ be of interest as 
mementos of the past. 

The " Central road " was completed to Richmond 
some time during the summer or autumn of 1853, when 
James M. Brown, of the firm of Brown & Morrow^, 
pork-packers, temporarily took charge, as agent, here, 
transacting the business in his own ofiice, which was 
located in a frame building, I think, on the west side 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 339 

of P'ort Wayne Avenue, about one hundred yards 
southwest of the present passenger depot. When I 
succeeded Mr. Brown, I continued to occupy his office 
for several weeks, until the freight and passenger 
stations were ready for use, when I purchased, of 
WilHam T. Dennis, Esq., — our present State Fish 
Commissioner, who was then in the hardware trade in 
this city — an iron safe, a copying-press, letter-book, 
and sundry other matters pertaining to the office. I 
also procured a desk and stool, set up a stove, and was 
furnished a lot of Indiana soft coal, and concluded by 
employing three men to assist in handling freight, 
making transfers, and switching cars about the yard, 
for such a thing as an engine for the purpose was not 
known here at the time. The men employed were : 
Henry Koehring, afterwards long employed at the 
Hutton Coffin Works, as engineer, and now in the 
service of Mr. George H. Knollenberg, dry goods 
merchant, of this city, as night watchman. The second 
party was one Fred Schultz, who continued in the 
service a short time and of whose subsequent history I 
know nothing. He was soon after succeeded by 
Thomas Clarke, who continued to serve while I 
remained in the office ; I think he finally became 
conductor of a passenger train on the * ' Chicago 
road ; " he has been dead for some years. Last, but 
not least, is William Zeek — a most faithful and reliable 
German — who has continued at his post from the 



340 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

autumn of 1853 down to the present hour. If an}' 
man in the service deserves to be retired and pensioned 
the remainder of his days, he is that man. 

The writer not onh' furnished and managed the 
first freight office of the road here, but was also its 
first ticket agent as well, working faithfull}^ late and 
early, and man}' a time on Sunday, and all for the 
munificent sum of $33,^3 per month, the men receiving 
$30 for a like term of service. 

Hon. John S. Newman was the first president of 
the road, and Samuel Hanna its first treasurer — both 
residents of Centerville, this (Wayne) county. With 
the former I was well acquainted ; the latter I rarely 
ever met. I herewith enclose a letter from Mr. 
Newman, and a receipt from Mr. Hanna, both in their 
own handwriting. The "contingency" Mr. Newman 
refers to was my request for an increase of salary, 
w^hich was not granted, and I soon after retired from 
the service. I was immediately tendered a position in 
the Citizens' Bank, as book-keeper, under Morrisson, 
Blanchard & Co., of this city, where I remained two 
years, when I engaged — and successfully — in business 
for myself. My successor in the office was a Mr. 
John Lynch — for many years past of Washington, 
D. C. — and he was succeeded by Mr. S. F. Fletcher, 
of this city [recently deceased] . 

The first passenger station was a small brick struc- 
ture, not exceeding twenty by seventy-five feet in size, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 341 

having a wooden platform extending around it, with 
extensions at either end for the more convenient hand- 
Hng of trunks and express matter. The old freight 
depot was not above half the size of the present one. 

That 3^ou may see what manner of men officiated as 
the servants of the road here at that time, I send 3^ou 
three photographs — one of the writer, one of Henry 
Koehring, and another of that very faithful servant, 
who is still with you, Mr. William Zeek. 

I am fully aware that this is a very meagre and 
unsatisfactory return to 3'our request for information 
relating to the road's early history here, but to the 
lapse of time and a general lack of interest in what 
does not immediately concern us, must be charged 
both the defects and deficiencies of this showing. 

Very truly yours, 

George P. Emswiler. 

Postscript. — Since writing the foregoing I have 
learned that Mr. Fred Schultz — one of the three 
hands first employed b}' me, and whose subsequent 
history I had lost sight of — engaged in the cigar 
trade after leaving the railway service ; later on was 
married and removed to Lewisville, Henry county, 
where he kept a village store and tavern for a number 
of years, and, finally, purchased and located on a farm 
on Eel river, this State, where he died, some 5-ears ago. 

Emswiler. 



342 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

Altoona, Pa., November i6, 1892. 

Afr. G. P. Einszvilcr, Richmoiid, Lid.: 

Dear Sir — I wish to thank 3'ou ver}^ much for your 
kindness in sending me description of earh^ history of 
Indiana Central Railroad, as well as the photographs, 
old envelopes, etc., which reached me safel}^ 3'esterda3^ 
morning. Yours very truly, 

J. E. W ATKINS, 

Special Agent Pennsylvania Railroad Co.'s Exhibit. \Yorld's Columbian 
Exposition.* 



Office of the Chief of Motive Power, 
Phieadeephia, December iSth, 1893. 

Mr. G. P. EmsiL'iler : 

Dear Sir — You will find herewith a catalogue of 
the exhibit made by the Penns3'lvania Railroad Com- 
panj^ at the World's Columbian Exposition. Refer- 
ences to the contribution made by 5'ou, for which this 
company is greatly indebted, will be found on pages 
112 and 113. You will be interested to learn that one 
of the seven medals awarded the Penns3dvania Railroad 
Company, by the judges in the section of Transporta- 
tion, was for the Historical Collection of Relics, Models, 
Charts, etc., of which your contribution formed an 
important part. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 343 

♦ 

Advantage has been taken of the exceptional oppor- 
tunity following the success of the Exposition just 
closed, to establish in Chicago the " Columbian Museum 
of Chicago." Large sums of mone}^ and many impor- 
tant exhibits have been contributed to the establishment 
of this institution. After careful investigation, and at 
the earnest request of the Directors of the new museum, 
it has been decided, as will be seen b}^ the accompany- 
ing circular of the President, to deposit the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad Compan3''s exhibit in the museum, 
under certain conditions, one of which is that the 
exhibit shall be installed, as a whole, in a separate hall 
which has been assigned for the purpose. 

I am directed to advise you of these facts, and, on 
behalf of this compan}^, to ask your assistance in pre- 
serving the historical value of the exhibit by donating to 
the " Pennsylvania Railroad Transportation Exhibit," 
in the Columbian Museum, the objects you kindly con- 
tributed to the Pennsylvania Railroad Exhibit at the 
World's Fair, and that you return my receipt endorsed 
to that effect. It is hoped that you will respond favor- 
ably to this request, in which case a label will be attached 
to 3'our contribution, containing the statement that it 
was donated by you, and due acknowledgement wall be 
made in a formal receipt, w4iich will be forw^arded to 
you later. Very respectfully. 

Approved : J. E. Watkins. 

Theo. N. Ely, Chief of Motive Power. 



344 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

* 

Columbian Muskum of Chicago, Mar. 23, 1894. 

Dear Sir — The notice of 3^our contribution of 3^ our 
exhibit to the Pennsylvania Railroad collection, in the 
Columbian Museum, has been received in this office. 

I assure you of our heartj^ appreciation of 3^our 
kindness in this matter, and conve}^ to 3^ou our earnest 
thanks for this addition to the collection. 

Yours very truly, 

E. W. Pkabody, 



In chars:e P. R. R. Exhibit. 



Geo. p. Emswieer, Esq., 
Richmond, Ind. 



EARLY RAILROADING. 



MEN, LOCOMOTIVES AND CARS, BETWEEN ANDERSON 
AND RICHMOND. 



Anderson Bulletin. 

Whilst other enterprises have made rapid strides, 
and the hand of progress can be seen on every turn, the 
railroads have not been asleep in the last fort3" 3^ears. 
There is as wide a difference between the railroad 
equipments and the mode of railroad management now, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 345 

and fort}' 3'ears ago, as there is between the fine coach 
drawn on the streets of to-da\^, and the old wooden axle 
carriage of that da3^ The comparison of one is onl}^ 
a comparison of the other. To illustrate : The Pan 
Handle railroad was constructed from Richmond to 
Hagerstown in 1853, extended to New Castle in 
1854, and reached Anderson about 1855. The equip- 
ments of the road at that time would be a curiosity to 
the present generation. The first engine that ever ran 
on the road was called the '* Swinett." It was a very 
small affair, not ver}' much larger than one of the large 
traction engines in use now for the purpose of running 
threshing machines. It had no pilot or cow-catcher in 
front, like the engines of to-da}'. Xo coal was used in 
firing an engine in those days, but wood was used 
entirely. The smoke-stack on the Swinett was a very 
large affair, spreading out at the top, with a large sieve 
covering it, to let the sparks and ashes escape. The 
smoke stack was nearly as large as the engine. 

The Swinett, coming down the road, presented 
much the same appearance of a country bo}' at a county 
fair, with his pap's plug hat on. At night, when she 
w^as steamed and her fire box stuffed full of dry wood, 
as she sailed along through the darkness, she left a 
string of fire coals streaming over her back like the tail 
of a comet, often setting fire to straw stacks, barns and 
fences, clearing everj^thing in her wa}'. She had 
painted, on the side of her "tender," the picture of a 



346 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

man with a pig under his arm, the tail in his mouth, 
and he picking on the pig hke a banjo. Thus it took 
its name, "Swinett. '' 

The Swinett had a twin sister that came on the road 
about the same time, named the "JuHa Dean." She 
was rather smaller than the Swinett, but much hand- 
somer, from the fact that her smoke stack was painted 
red. As she came sailing along she looked like a sugar 
trough with a stove pipe stuck up in the center of it. 
She, like the Swinett, had no pilot or cow-catcher in 
front. If either of these engines ever struck a cow, it 
was simply a question of which vrent into the ditch, the 
cow or the engine. 

The people of those da3'S called a locomotive a 
" BuUjine." It was a great treat for tlie 3"oungsters to 
go to town on Saturda}' and see the " JuUjine " come 
in. After these^ rude, ill-shaped engines had served 
their day, and the road had reached further into the 
fields of prosperity', new and more modern engines 
were placed in service. Whilst they were considered, 
in their day, the finest in the land, the}' would suffer 
by comparison with the monsters of to-da}'. 

Every town on the line of the road, of an}' impor- 
tance, was anxious to have an engine named for it. 
The officials, of course, in order to please their patrons, 
named an engine after the county-seats through which 
the road passed. There was the New Castle, the 
Logansport, the Anderson, and the Chicago, all hand- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 347 

some pieces of machinery for their day. Then there 
was the S. Fosdick, the largest engine of its day, named 
in honor of some distinguished man ; but of all the 
locomotives that ever skipped along the rails of the 
Pan Handle railroad, from the time the road was first 
begun, up to date, the " Old Hoosier " took the cake. 
She was the favorite of all engineers who ever traveled 
the road. Mark Smith was the engineer who handled 
her throttle. He was as much a favorite as was his 
engine. Ever}^ woman, man and child on the road 
knew Mark Smith, and loved him. The Hoosier had 
a whistle on it that out-wdiistled all others. People 
used to say that the whistle of the Hoosier, when she 
was thrown wide open, would shake the beech-nuts off 
the trees along the road. 

John Smock was the first engineer who ever ran an 
engine on the road. He came to tj^e road with the 
Swinett, and sta3'ed with it as long as the engine was 
in use, and for some time afterward. Smock was a 
terrible swearer. It is said that he could curse the old 
Swinett until it would begin to move, wdthout fire, water 
or steam in it. It was his delight to see a team of 
horses skip out over a corn-field, along the road, when 
scared at the cars. He often blew the whistle when 
there was no earthly need of it, just to scare somebody's 
horses and see them run. 

Among the early engineers on the road was a man 
named Skinner. He, for many years, ran the ' ' Old 



348 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

Chicago." She was a monster for that da}^, built for a 
passenger run. Extra large drive wheels, with the 
gearing or side rods inside of the drivers. 

Skinner was an awful man to swear. He made the 
air blue when an3^thing went wrong. A man by the 
name of Grimes was also an earl}^ engineer. He was 
an old friend of Jack Daniel's, and visited him a short 
time ago. 

Tom Clark was the first conductor on the road. He 
was a whole team b}' himself. He knew everj'body on 
the road, and everybod}' knew him. He swore, chewed 
tobacco, smoked, drank good liquor, and had a good 
time generally. He retired man}' years ago, and lived 
on a farm near Richmond, where, it is said, he died 
some years ago. There was onh' one train each wa}^ 
from Anderson to Richmond, then. It was a mixed 
train of freight .and passenger cars. Tom Clark was 
the only conductor, and run the whole business. After- 
ward separate trains, made up exclusivel}^ of passenger 
coaches and more conductors, were needed. 

Then came Charley Lincoln and Elijah Holland, of 
New Castle. *' Lige " alwaj's wore a blue cloth spike- 
tail coat, with brass buttons, with a beautiful growth 
of red whiskers, to match. He was a ' ' Dick. ' ' Then 
there were John C. Huddleston, Thomas, Plimpton, 
Muchmore, Billy Patterson, Bogart, and others whose 
names are now forgotten. Bogart was a little New 
York dandy ; looked like he had just come out of a 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 349 

band-box. He was unused to Hoosier customs. The 
boys along the road used to have lots of fun at his 
expense. They kided him in many waj-s. ^^ ^-^ ^ 

John C. Huddleston is still living a retired life in 
New Castle, and is one of the largest land owners in 
Henry county. He has acres and acres of Blue river 
bottom land that one can see as they near New Castle 
on the Pan Handle train. It looks like the Garden of 
Eden. He had his foot cut off at Knightstown, in i860, 
by the cars running over it. It is said he was there on 
some political business, and did not want it known, but 
the accident brought it out. ^ ^ '-'^ 

There was no telegraph line on the road then, and 
a conductor had to be " up to snuff" to run a train. 
It was no bo3''s play, in those days, to be a conductor. 

The engine "Anderson," named in honor of this 

city, done service for several years on the road, and was 
a general favorite among railroaders, as well as the 
public. She finally ended her existence by suicide, 
about the year i860, exploding her boiler while stand- 
ing on the track, in the town after which she was 
named, while her engineer was eating a lunch in a 
small restaurant or lunch room kept by Buff Dehority, 
situated near w^here Wellington's flouring mills now 
stand, opposite the Pan Handle depot. She was blown 
into fragments. The boiler was completely demolished, 
and thrown in all directions. H. J. Daniels, the present 



350 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

postmaster of Anderson, kept a grain house near there, 
and was a witness to the explosion. No one was hurt, 
but everybody, for a great distance around, was badly 
scared and shaken up. 



e^ 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 



CANAL-BOAT TRAINS. 



NOVKIy PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD ONCE IN OPERATION. 



CARS RUNNING ON LAND AND WATER BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND 

PITTSBURG. 



Editor the Telegram: 

In your issue of Saturday you mentioned a project, 
once had in view by the people of Richmond, to build a 
railroad from this city to Connersville, which, you state, 
was to have an ' ' equipment different from anything 
ever before or since carried into effect," which is 
described as a car with "bed" shaped as a canal-boat. 
As no date is given, I cannot say such project had 
previously been successfully tried, but about twenty 
years before the war — while I was attending school in 
Chester county, Pennsylvania — it was a dail}' occur- 
rence to see trains on the Columbia railroad which had 
the appearance of a half-dozen canal-boats on wheels, 
running along at a speed of twenty miles per hour. 



352 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

The boats were divided in the center, two cars repre- 
senting one boat. These were loaded in Philadelphia, 
taken b}^ rail to Columbia — situated on the Susque- 
hanna river, about twenty miles below Harrisburg — 
where they were launched into the Pennsylvania canal, 
the two sections coupled together, and from thence 
towed to Holiday sburg, where trucks were again 
placed under them and they were hauled over what was 
known as the Portage railroad to Johnstown, where 
the queer craft again took to the water and went by 
canal to Pittsburg, at which point the freight was 
transferred to boats for all points, from Fort Snelling 
on the north to New Orleans on the south, thus 
making but one handling of the freight between Phila- 
delphia and all towns on the Mississippi river and its 
tributaries. These canals and railroads were owned by 
the State of Pennsylvania, and when, in 1846, applica- 
tion w^as made to the I^egislature for a charter for the 
Pennsjdvania railroad to extend from Harrisburg to 
Pittsburg, it was vigorously opposed as a possible 
competitor of the State works. The latter, before 
man}^ years, w^ere purchased by the Pennsylvania 
Railroad Company from the State, and the queer- 
looking boat-cars ceased to be used. 

W. F. SpKnckr. 



Note.— The statement here made by Mr. Spencer the author can 
fully verify, as he has witnessed the same thing, when a boy, at 
Marietta, Harrisburg and Columbia, Pennsylvania, hundreds of times. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 353 



OUR NAVY DURING THE WAR. 



ONE OF THE MARVELS OF THE AGE. — MONEY VALUE 
OF ITS CAPTURES. 



[Admiral Porter's Book, 1861 to 1865.] 

The growth of our navy was one of the marvels of 
the age. It cost the government, in round numbers, 
$480,000,000, or $120,000,000 for each year of the war, 
$10,000,000 per month, or nearly a third of a million 
dollars for ever}^ da}^ of the war. 

It emplo3'ed over 600 vessels of war and over 
50,000 men, which force greatly exceeded that of any 
other nation in the world. 

It guarded over 7,000 miles of coast, including 
bays, rivers, -etc., effectually^ preventing the importa- 
tion of arms and munitions of war, and so compelling 
the earlier exhaustion of the Confederate forces. 

It captured the immense number of 1,165 blockade- 
runners, many of which were fine steamers — a ratio 
of nearly 300 captures per annum, or almost one each 
day during the entire war. The mone}^ value of its 
captures was at least $60,000,000, or $15,000,000 
worth for each 3'ear of the war, and $1,250,000 in 
value for each month of the war, from first to last. 



354 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

It co-operated with the army wherever there was 
water enough to float a gun-boat, while on the high 
seas our navy covered itself with glor3^ The river 
work of the navy on the Potomac, the York, the James 
and the Mississippi, with its branches ; the coast-line 
work, from the Chesapeake to the Mississippi, and its 
work on the high seas, totally eclipse, in martial valor 
and brilliant successes, all other naval achievements of 
the world. While historj^ records the names of Fort 
Henr}', Fort Donelson, Island Xo. lo, Vicksburg, Port 
Hudson, Fort Jackson, Fort St. Philip, Fort Sumter, 
Charleston harbor, Mobile ba}', Hatteras inlet, New 
Orleans, Port Royal and Fort Fisher, and a score 
more of such famous names, the American navy will 
be universally honored ; while such deeds as the 
sinking of the Alabama, in square naval battle, will 
ever be named among the most brilliant victories of 
the age. 

It opened the harbors b}' the perilous work of 
removing obstructions, torpedoes, etc. , and b}' utterly 
destroying the hostile batteries which commanded 
them. It held in check the hostile elements of many 
a cit\' and rural section while a dreaded gun-boat 
quietly lay before it ; in short, it displayed heroism of 
the noblest t3^pe, and made our reputation on the seas 
equal that of an}' nation. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



355 



WAR PRICES IN THE NORTH. 



SOME PRICKS CURRENT DURING THE I.ATE WAR. 



This list was issued by H. B, Claflin & Co., corner of 
Worth, Church and West Broadway, New York, August 27, 
1864. " For tliis hour only, 11 o'clock a. m." 

These were net wholesale prices, by the case. 



Prints. 

Cocheco $0 50 

Merrimac 50 

Sprague 46 

Sprague, Pink and Pur- 
ple Frock 46 

Sprague, Indigo Blue . 47J 

Sprague, German Style 46 

Sprague, Turkey Red . 46 

Sprague, Solid Colors . 47 
Sprague, Buff and Green 

Fancy 46 

Sprague, Shirting ... 46 

Sprague, 4-4 Purple . . 60 

American 45 

Pacific 46 

Dunnell 43 J 

Lowell, Dark 39 

Lowell, Light 31 

P. Allen, Shirting ... 41^ 

Duchess B 38 

Wamsutta 39 

Arnold 38J 



Prints. 

Windham Co $0 36 

Amoskeag Pink .... 43 

Amoskeag Purple ... 42 

Amoskeag Shirting . . 41 

Amobkeag Ruby ... 42 

Mallory Purple .... 42 

Rhode Island 38 

Suffolk 41 

Richardson, Freeman 

& Co 39 

Gamer Swiss 42 

Eagle and Neptune . . 32 

Cohoes Falls, Etc. . . 25 

York and Amoskeag 

Mourning 40^ 

London and Atlantic 

Mourning 43 

Ginghams. 

Roanoke 40 

Hampden 40 

Lancaster 48^ 

Everett , . . 47i 



356 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



Delaines. 

High Colors $0 60 

Armures bl\ 

All Dark . . . 
All Wool . . 



55 

. . .72, 75 to 85 

Apron Checks. 



Hamilton 45 

Whittenden ...'.. 52 J 

Star, 4-2 55 and 60 

Star, 2-2 52J 

Washington 52 i 

Stripe Shirtings. 



35 
36 
41 



Pittsfield 

Hudson River .... 

Thorndike 

Anchor 

Franklin, A. C. A. . . 42^ 
Uncasville, Light and 
Dark 57^ and 58 i 

Furniture Checks. 



Park Mills, Heavy 
Columbia Mills . 
Star Mills . . . 
Star Mills, Red . 
Kirkland Mills . 
Hancock Mills . 
Washington, No 
Wamsutta . . . 
Lanark Brown, No. 3 
Lanark Brown, No. 2 
Marlboro Stripes . . 
Hartford Co 



80 



57J 

45 

55 

65 

40 

^91 

oz^ 

55 

50 
45 

42* 
37* 



Ticks. 
Pemberton Red Awn- 
ing 



72.^ 



Pemberton X Blue 

Awning ^ 

Franklin, A. C. A. . . 

Merrimac 

Hampden 

Pittsfield 

Hudson River .... 
Massachusetts .... 

Canton Flannel. 

Hamilton, X F. Brown 
Roanoke, A. A. Brown 
Naumkeag, A. K. Brown 
Naumkeag, Bleached . 
Portland, Bleached . . 

Colored Corset Jeans. 



to 

m 

39 
35 
36 



75 

44 

77J 

80 

72i 



Pepperell .... 
Lewiston .... 
Androscoggin . 
Indian Orcharde 
Newmarket . . . 



Denims. 

Hudson River Brown 
Madison Brown 
Warren Brown . 
Oxford Brown . 
New Creek Blue 
Idaho Blue . . . 
Franklin, A, C. A., Blue 
Massachusetts Blue . . 
Merrimac Blue .... 
Naumkeag Blue . . . 
Haymaker Blue • . . 

Brown Shirtings. 

Boot H, 7-8 

Boot 0, 4-4 



$0 60 
45 
43^ 

40 

46^ 

55 

52^ 

42J 

46J 

48 

50 

60 

60 

70 



54 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



357 



Boot S, 9-8 


$0 60 


Nashua D, 4-4 . . . 


60 


Pacific E, 7-8 . . . • 


57^ 


Pacific L, 4-4 .... 


62 


Atlantic E, 7-S . . . 


571 


Atlantic L, 4-4 


62 


James, 7-8 


52J 


Dwight A, 4-4 . . . 


55 


Newmarket A, 4—1: . 


571 


Great Falls S, 7-8 . . 


52J 


Great Falls M, 4-4 . 


55 


Pepperell 0, 7-8 . . 


56 


Pepperell R, 4-4 . . 


60 


Salisbury R, 4-4 . . - 


60 


Hamilton A A, 4-4 . 


47J 


Beowx Sheetinci 


s. 


All Standards, 4-4 . 


72i 


Rittsfield, 3-4 . . . . 


45 


Atlantic R, 4-4 . . . 


63 


Atlantic R, 4-4 . . . 


67^ 


Ethan Allen C, 4-4 . 


52i 


Canestogo No. 1, 7-8 . 


50 


Burhngton X, 4-4 . . 


52J 


Little Falls D . . . . 


55 


Nashua A 


70 


LiNSEYS. 




Park No. 65 


87i 


Park No. 45 


65 


Park No. 35 


60 


All Wool Filling . . 


75 


Rob Rov 


67i 


AVamsutta 


67^ 


Jefferson 


57^ 


Royal Oak 


53 


White Rock 


. 



7-8 Bleached Cottons. 

Portsmouth F .... $0 42^ 

Pawnee A A 50 

Canagua River H . . • 882 

Arctic A 40 

Waltham X 55 ... • 55 

Nipunic 38 38 

Edward Harris .... 50 

Blackwater 45 

Boote 52^ 

Langdon 55 

Bleached Corset Jeans. 

Pepperell $0 60 

Amoskeag 52^ 

Androscoggin 45 

Lewiston 45 

Bates 45 

4-4 Bleached Cottons. 

New York Mills . . • . $0 77^ 

Masonville ..... 70 

Androscoggin 71 

Wauregan Water Twist 74 

Langdon 63 

White Rock 74 

Black Rock 65 

Arkwright Water Twist 72^ 

Dwight, D 68 

Hill's Semper Idem . . 65 

Bartlett 65 

Durham 62J 

Hope 61 

Kensington 50 

Commonwealth, U. . . 48 

Wauregan, Extra, X X 58 J 

Wauregan, F 55 



358 



P0E3IS AND SKETCHES. 



Eldon $0 45 

Plainfield, A 44 

Seneca Mills ..... 50 

Wanhoo, A 49 

Narraganset 48^ 

Chattanooga, A .... 50 

Reynolds, A 50 

Chaiimont 431 

Newburyport 60 

Colored Cambric, Etc. 

Colored Cambric, 26|-, 27 J, 30 
Paper Cambric, 25, 31 and 32J 
Victory Silisias .... 45 
Lonsdale Silisias . . . 43i 

Shirting and Pillow Case, 
Bleached. 

10-4 Pepperell . . . . $1 60 
9-4 Pepperell .... 1 50 



8-4 Pepperell 

6-4 Pepperell 
10-4 Waltham 

9-4 Waltham 

8-4 Waltham 

6-4 Waltham 

9-8 Waltham 

5-4 Langdon . 

5-4 Androscoggin 

9-4 Monadnock . 
10-4 Monadnock, Brow 



$1 32i 



00 
55 
45 
30 
97i 
65 
72^ 
78 
35 
nl 37 



Spool Cotton, Etc. 

Coates' Spool Cotton, 

(5 off) $2 00 

Willim antic (5 off ) • • 1 50 
Worsted Braid, No. 53, 
(5 off) 1 87i 



Dry goods, wool shawls, dress goods, blankets, cloths, 
cassimeres, satinetts, cloakings, cloaks and mantillas, Ken- 
tucky jeans, notions, w^hite goods, hosiery, lace goods, boots 
and shoes, all as low as circumstances and the times will allow. 

Goods are still advancing in price. Your orders — -for 
which I shall be obliged — will receive prompt attention. 

B. Barr. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



359 



WAR PRICES IN THE SOUTH, 



WITH A DEPRECIATED CURRENCY 



Mrs. Jefferson Davis, in her Memoirs, gives the following 
extract from the diary of Col. Miller Owens, of the Washington 
Artillery, during the last Avar. Made on a trip from Richmond, 
Virginia, to Augusta, Georgia, in March and April, 1865. 

1865. PKiCE. 

March 11 To meal on the road $ 20 00 

March 17 To cigars and bitters 60 00 

March 20 To hair-cutting and shave 10 00 

March 20 To one pair eye glasses 135 00 

March 20 To candles 50 00 

March 23 To coat, vest and pants 2,700 00 

March 27 To one gallon whiskey 400 00 

March 30 To one pair pants 700 00 

March 30 To one pair cavalry boots 450 00 

April 12 To six yards linen 1,200 00 

April 14 To one ounce sul. quinine^ 1,700 00 

April 14 To two weeks' board 70 00 

April 14 Bought $60 gold 6,000 00 

April 24 To one doz. Catawba winc^ 900 00 

April 24 To shade and sundries? 75 00 

April 24 To matches 25 00 

April 24 To one pen knife 125 00 

April 24 To one package brown Windsor soap ... 50 00 



In July, 1862, the farmers of the South were selling eggs 
(which now bring but ten or twelve cents per dozen) for a 
dollar; potatoes for $6 per bushel; chickens, 57 cents to $1 



360 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

apiece; butter, 75 cents to $1 per pound; cabbage, 50 cents to 
75 cents per head. By November they were getting $15 a 
barrel for their corn, and $4.50 ipet bushel for their wheat. In 
February, 1863, prices had risen to a figure that, as one writer 
puts it, "must fairly make the modern farmer's mouth 
water: " chickens were $12 a pair, and bacon $8 — not a barrel, 
but a pound! But in 1864, "wealth beyond the dreams of 
avarice was," the same writer continues, " pouring in on the 
farmer." Flour then brought $300 per barrel ; a turkey 
would fetch $60 ; white beans sold for $75 per bushel, and 
milk $4 a quart. By 1865 the amount of money that a farmer 
could obtain for his products was almost incalculable. He 
could name his own price, and the supply of money was 
inexhaustible. Never before had the farmers of this or any 
other country so much money in their pockets ; in fact, their 
pockets were not large enough to hold it, and it was said that 
people took their money to market in their baskets, and 
brought home their purchases in their pockets. 



Q^S 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 361 



COTTON MATHER AND THE "FRIENDS." 



We are often reminded of the good old times, when 
men were better than they are now, but we seldom get 
a glimpse of those better times that we do not rejoice 
to have escaped them and had our lot cast in the 
degenerate days of the present. We do not believe 
that the world was ever better than at present. In 
government and religion, we think there has been, all 
the time, a steady advance toward the higher and 
better, and that the whole people occupy a much 
higher plane, in morals and virtue, than ever before. 
Governments are more observant of the rights of the 
citizen, and the churches more tolerant and more in 
harmony with the teachings of their great founder 
than they were ever before known to be. We are led 
to this moralizing by the recent publication, for the 
first time, of the following letter, written by Cotton 
Mather, two hundred years ago. The letter is as 
follows : 

8eptember, 1682. 

To ye Aged and Beloved John Higginson: 

There be now at sea a shippe (for our friend Elias Hold- 
craft, of London, did advise me by the last packet that it 
would sail some time in August) called "Ye Welcome" 
(R. Green was master), which has aboard a hundred or more 



362 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

of ye heretics and malignants called Quakers, with W. Penn, 
who is ye scamp at ye head of them. Ye General Court has 
accordingly given secret orders to Master Malachi Huxett, of 
ye brig " Porpoise," to waylay ye said " "Welcome," as near ye 
coast of Codd as may be, and make captives of ye Penn and 
his ungodly crew, so that ye Lord may be glorified, and not 
mocked on ye soil of this new country with ye heathen 
worships of these people. Much spoil can be made by selling 
ye whole lot to Barbadoes, where slaves fetch good prices in 
rumme and sugar, and we shall not only do ye Lord great 
service by punishing ye wicked, but shall make gaine for his 
ministers and people. 

Yours, in ye bowels of Christ, 

CoTTOx Mather, 

Had this scheme, which was so earnestly approved 
b}' the good and reverend Mr. ]Mather, been successful, 
and William Penn and his colon}^ of Quakers been 
captured and traded to the Barbadoes for slaves — 
taking rum and sugar in return — we scarceh^ believe 
the generation of to-day would approve it as glorifying 
the Lord or as a credit to the church. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 363 



THE OPTIMIST. 



If ' ' crime ' ' is the most terrible word which has 
ever been coined by the Hps of man, " ennni " is the 
most pathetic. 

When we read in Gibbon that ' ' neither business nor 
pleasure nor flattery could defend Caracalla from the 
stings of a guilty conscience ; and he confessed, in the 
anguish of a tortured mind, that his disordered fancy 
often beheld the angry forms of his father and his 
brother rising: into life to threaten and upbraid him , " a 
shudder runs through our hearts. 

When we read what Septimus Sever us (who rose 
from an humble station to the imperial throne) said, 
" Omnia ful et nihil expedit," " I have been all things, 
and all was of little value," a tear dims our eyes. 

' ' Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more 
drunkards than thirst, and as many suicides as despair. ' ' 

There is a Persian proverb which s^ys : ' ' When 
men, passing by a newly made grave, shall say, ' Would 
God I were there,' the end of the world is nigh." 

It is an intolerable thought, that, in this world of 
wondrous beauty and infinite mystery, the human 
spirit can ever suffer from mental weariness produced 



364 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

by satiety, and from feelings of tedium and disgust. 
But such is the case, and ennui is the baneful shadow 
that dogs the heels of an advancing civilization. 

It is the fruit of disease or of dissipation. When 
life rushes in full tides through the veins, and tingles 
in the heart, it transforms a desert to a garden without 
eifort, as do gushing streams of water. Beware, those 
of the impaired digestion, the hacking cough, the feeble 
f)ulse ! But dissipation is more fatal than disease. The 
overfed stomach spurns imperial delicacies. The glutted 
imagination revolts at rainbows. ' * Enough is as good 
as a feast," and " too much " is the death of desire. 

Didst thou say : " My food has lost its flavor, and 
the great world its beauty?" Thou fool, thou hast 
ruined thy palate and perverted thy vision ! Rye bread 
and goat's milk is still "ambrosia" to the hungry 
swain, and lovers and poets are still intoxicated by the 
potent spells of nature. 

It is no wonder that ennui spreads like a pestilence, 
when little children are stuffed and surfeited with all 
the luxuries that money can buy, so that, while they 
are still in their teens, they have tasted every pleasure 
and jaded every sense. We make our children drunk 
with luxuries. We stupify their souls wdth beauty, as 
wicked mothers do their senses with beer. 

What further charm do you expect existence to have 
for a man who, before he has reached his majority, has 
quaffed the cup of life to its dregs? If you find no 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 365 

pleasure in life, do not blame the world. It is still 
beautiful, and still fills normal souls with rapture. 
However soft and sweet and caressing a summer breeze 
may be, it cannot evoke music from an aeolian harp 
whose strings are broken. 

The same universe which made the essays of Hazlitt 
murmur with pain, and those of Amiel with sadness, 
evoked undying strains of hope from those of Emerson. 

There have been men to whom the morning sun, 
the evening stars, the songs of birds, the bloom of 
flowers, the laughter of children, were as full of mys- 
terious charm and resistless benediction, when their 
hairs were white with the snows of life's last winter, as 
when they whipped the mountain stream for trout, or 
strummed the light guitar beneath a moonlit window. 

Chari.es F. Goss. 



THE CHII^DREN OF THE DESERT. 



A SYRIAN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNERS AND 
CUSTOMS OF A ROMANTIC RACE. 



[ Courier-Journal Interview, October, 1885.] 

In conversation with a part}^ of Syrians, at the 
Exposition, one of them gave to a reporter an account 
of the Bedouins — that mysterious people who have 
inhabited the desert of the Orient and lived in a 



366 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

nomadic state for centuries. Their origin is veiled in 
obscurity, and is older than any civilization. They 
are as much a distinct and peculiar race as the Jews, 
and have manners and customs, governmental and 
domestic, that characterized them before the time of 
the Genghis Kahn, or Tamerlane. The Sj^rian, who 
spoke of them, said : 

' ' The}' number about half a million of different 
tribes. They never dwell under a stationary- roof, but 
live in movable tents, the fabric of camel hair or goat 
hair, as the tribe is opulent or indigent. The}' roam 
the desert, remaining in a place only as long as the 
pasturage continues sufficient for their flocks and 
herds. Each tribe is governed b}- a sheikh, who has 
autocratic power over life, libert}' and propert}'. Some 
of the tribes are powerful, and number as man}' as 
15,000 tents, and none less than 200 tents. The}- are 
governed by no written law, but are subject, alone, to 
the will and conscience of the sheikhs, who pay but 
slight regard to El- Koran. Their wealth is estimated 
according to the number of their cattle, and their 
power according to the num^ber of their horses. Theirs 
are the finest horses on the globe, and they the best 
riders. Their care and attention for their horses equal 
the affection of a tender Christian father for his 
offspring. 

' * The children of the desert are remarkabl}- quick 
and intelligent. Their sense of sight is wonderful!}^ 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 367 

acute, and equal to a field-glass of considerable power. 
They excel the American Indian in the pursuit of 
stolen or strayed cattle, horses or camels, and can 
trace them for hundreds of miles across the desert, 
even though immense caravans have traveled the 
same paths. 

" They are proverbial for their hospitality. I lived 
with them for four 3'ears, and the3^ were necessary to 
me in protecting my silk farms, some hundreds of 
miles in the interior from Damascus. The}" would 
protect and guard a guest from harm at the expense of 
their lives and fortunes. Their tents are a sanctuary' 
for an}' man, no matter what his crime, who invokes 
their protection. If the host be sheikh or shepherd, it 
is all the same — the whole tribe would spill the last 
drop of blood in defense of the guest, though he were 
the lowest outcast and most miserable beggar that 
claimed asylum. Breach of hospitality is the greatest 
of crimes, and they look upon it with emotions of 
horror. Whoever eats of their salt or their bread, or 
drinks of their pucketo, or ties a handkerchief to the 
cord of their tent, is their brother forever. If one's 
enemy re-captures him after being their guest, they 
will fight for him to death, or pay their last maravedi 
for a ransom, though it beggar the clan. 

"To enemies, on the other hand, they give no 
quarter, and in battle they are as savage as they are 
brave, and commit deeds of atrocity in the hour of 



368 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

victor}^ that makes humanity shudder. They celebrate 
their victor}^ b}^ feats of horsemanship, on the part of 
the males, and dances and songs by the females, con- 
cluding with a sword dance, in which both sexes 
participate and in which all are exceedingly expert. 

' ' A Bedouin is never separated from his horse. 
He claims that his horse is part of his life, and the 
purer strains have never been sold from the tribes. 
All the gold of Ophir, all the jewels of Golconda, 
could not purchase one of the fine strains of noble 
horses which they possess, and whose purit}" has been 
undefiled with colder blood for centuries. Their 
horses are not large, but exquisitely proportioned for 
speed and endurance. To strike, or misuse, or speak 
harshl}' to a horse, is sacrilege in their e5^es. The 
horse never permits a stranger to touch him, and 
repays his master's kindness with more than filial love 
or human gratitude. It is a common feat for one of 
these horses to run one hundred miles, with a speed 
equal to the finest Kentuck}^ thoroughbred when 
making his best time on j^our race-course. 

"The Bedouins subsist on milk, fruits, dates and 
the flesh of their herds and flocks. I have drank 
coffee in Constantinople and at Paris, and have imbibed 
the wine of Cj^press and of Portugal, but the coffee as 
made by these children of the desert is the most 
delicious beverage that ever greeted m}^ palate, and it 
is worth a journe}^ to S^^ia to drink a single cup." 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 369 



CHRONOLOGY OF PLANTS. 



[St. Louis Globe- Democrat.] 

Indian corn is American. First noticed in 1493. 
The rye-plant is noted in Chinese histor}^ B. C. 500. 
Arrowroot is Central American. Mentioned in 

1537- 

Tobacco is American. Described by Spaniards in 

1495- 

The magnolia is a North American. First described 

in 1688. 

Buckwheat is of Siberian origin. First mentioned 
in 1436. 

The pumpkin is Mexican and African. Described 
in 1527. 

Kidney or Lima beans are native in Peru. Described 
in 15 1 2. 

Spinach is from New Zealand. Brought to Europe 

in 1687. 

The pear is mentioned by Homer in the Iliad 
B. C. 962. 

Beans and peas were mentioned in Chinese histor}^ 
B. C. 2700. 

Barley is an Asiatic. Mentioned in the Bible 
B. C. 1900. 



370 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

The onion is from India. Mentioned in the Bible 
B. C. 1571. 

The olive is an Asiatic. Mentioned in the Bible 
B. C. 1900. 

Flax is mentioned on the Egyptian monuments at 
least B. C. 2000. 

The potato is North American. Taken to England 
by Raleigh, 1585. 

The apricot is Syrian. It was known to the 
Romans A. D. 30. 

The beet is mentioned b}^ Romans, as a table 
dainty, A. D. 126. 

Oranges grow wild in China. Described in Chinese 
his tor}' A. D. 200. 

The peach — Persian apple — was mentioned b}^ 
Romans B. C. 237. 

Cotton grows wild in India. Mentioned by Theo- 
phrastus B. C. 350. 

Apples were known to the Greeks B. C. 900 ; to 
Romans, B. C. 500. 

The pineapple is an American plant. First noted 
by Spaniards, 1498. 

Rice is indigenous to China. Well known in that 
country B. C. 2800. 

About 1 , 800 varieties of roses have been propagated 
during this century. 

The sugar-cane is native to India. Sugar used as 
medicine A. D. 600. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. ^ 371 

The potato was taken to Spain and Ital}^ by the 
Spaniards, about 1525. 

The banana is found wild in Asia and America. 
First described in 1516. 

The tomato is American. First called "love- 
apple" and noted 1549. 

Pliny, A. D. 60, mentions seventy varieties of 
plums as known in Italy. 

The walnut grew" in Armenia from the earliest 
times. Known B. C. 400. 

The grape is found in all parts of the world. Men- 
tioned in the Bible B. C. 3500. 

The first coffee plants in America planted in 
Surinam, by the Dutch, in 17 18. 

Wheat is an Asiatic. Grown by the Chinese B. C. 
2700. Called the " gift of God." 

The hop vine grows wild all over Europe. German 
beer noted by Tacitus, A. D. 100. 

The fig is universal in all tropical climes. Leaves 
mentioned in the Bible B. C. 4000. 

Mushrooms grow wild in all parts of the earth, and 
are as plentiful in Siberia as in the tropics. 



372 • POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



SHEI.LS, FOSSILS AND FLOWERS. 



O, give me shells, bright, beautiful shells, 

From the ocean's depths below ; 
And fossil forms, from the seas of eld, 

Where the matchless corals grow. 

For I love them much , and their age is such 
As belongs to the strange and old ; 

They've a nameless charm that delights me more 
Than the radiance wrought of gold. 

So love I flowers, fair, beautiful fiowers, 
On the brow of the bride to twine ; 

They please me well, their entrancing spell 
Enchants with a sense divine. 

I love all these — they were formed to please. 

And prove that a law, supreme. 
Has made not only the shell and flower, 

But the earth and the sun's bright beam. 

We thank thee, Father, Almighty of all. 

For the glorious gifts we see ; 
And trust, in time, when we pass from hence. 

We may alwa3^s dwell with Thee. 

January 29, 1897. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 378 



TRAVEL. 



NOTES BY THE WAY. 



On the morning of Ma}^ 25th, 1896, amidst a 
pouring rain, the writer left home with the purpose of 
making a tour of some of the more interesting portions 
of the East and its principal cities. The program 
included Niagara Falls and Boston, which he did not, 
finally, reach, as the time set apart for his stay would 
have been too greatly exceeded for the interest of busi- 
ness, awaiting his return. For his companion he had 
Miss Belle May, an interesting and intelligent young 
lad}^ of eleven — who, though so young, bore her 
absence from home and friends, during our thirty 
days' sta}', remarkably well, and was greatly interested 
in whatever we saw that was novel or new, and was 
readily reconciled to whatever change of circumstance 
or place might bring about. 

Our first stop was at Pittsburg and Allegheny City, 
where we remained some three or four da3'S, making 
our home at the Saint Charles Hotel, where we found 
pleasant quarters, good fare and agreeable people. 
During our stay here we industriousl}' sought out all 
the objects of interest, and traversed the two cities from 



374 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

center to circumference, crossing the rivers, ascending 
the hills, and visiting parks and public buildings. 
Both cities are well worthj^ the tourist's attention. 
Pittsburg is a city of some 200,000 souls, and is one of 
the greatest manufacturing centers in the world. 
Situated at the confluence of the Alleghenj^ and 
Monongahela rivers, and surrounded, as it is, b}- lofty 
hills, it is exceedingh?' picturesque ; while at least 
three inclined planes are constanth' employed in con- 
veying passengers and freight to their elevated sum- 
mits. To witness the ascent or descent of the cars 
upon these cable roads — constructed at an angle of 
some fort3^-five degrees — is realh' awe-inspiring. Two 
of these lines are above six hundred feet in length, 
and one ascends more than thirteen hundred feet 
sk5^ward. Even these hill- tops are now densel}^ popu- 
lated, and well built. The view afforded from above 
is ver}^ fine, indeed. 

A citizen whom I met at one of the parks in 
AUeghen}' City told me he had known Carnegie for 
many years, and that he commenced life as an assistant 
to his father, who was a carpet weaver, in ver}' humble 
circumstances, and that his home was the merest 
apolog}' for a cabin. Here, then, is another evidence 
that povert\\ alone, is no bar to the greatest success, 
provided talent and energ}- are combined in the indi- 
vidual. Xo pinnacle is so loft}' but ambition and 
perseverance may reach it. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 375 

Our second stop was made at Harrisburg, Pennsyl- 
vania, where we were nicely cared for at the Herschey 
House. We soon began to make the acquaintance of 
this old capital (laid out in 1787) of a grand old 
State, and found man}^ points of interest to occupy the 
time of our brief stay. Among the lesser incidents, 
w^hich struck me first, w^as the fact that such a thing 
as a " tan " shoe was an exceeding rarity, creating in 
my mind — erroneously, perhaps — the impression that 
Eastern people get up styles for Western markets, the 
like of which the}^ never adopt at home. The people 
with whom we came in contact were remarkabl3^ kind 
and obliging. Industry and thrift are manifest on 
every hand, but that " up-to-date " condition of things, 
so omnipresent in "smart" Western towns, is not to 
be seen. We saw fewer fine carriages, and other sim- 
ilar vehicles, in a population of sixty thousand souls, 
than Richmond, with its twenty and odd thousand 
inhabitants, can boast. The people appear to be less 
given to style and displa}^ than we of the West. In 
our wanderings about town, we saw many handsome 
residences and other evidences of wealth and comfort, 
but did not think their stores and business blocks, 
generall}^ were the equal of man}' in some of our 
smaller Western towns. When a bo3^ from the age 
of twelve to fifteen, I had resided here, and in those 
halcyon days spent many a happy hour upon the bosom 
of the romantic Susquehanna, which was then spanned 



376 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

by a single wooden bridge, covered, and projected from 
the city's side to a near-by island, and continued from 
the farther side to the shore beyond, possibly three- 
quarters of a mile in its total length. On the hither 
side, near its entrance, stood a rude rock monument, 
nearly as nature formed it, bearing upon its face an 
equally rude inscription, informing the curious in such 
matters that the structure was begun in 1813 and 
completed in 18 17, and that Theodore Burr was the 
builder, at a cost of $192,138. Those dates and the 
inscriptions we had faithfully remembered during all 
these intervening years, and found them precisely as 
we had left them, both in fancy and in fact. 

Strolling along the river's bank, one afternoon, we 
came upon a lone grave, surrounded by a very high 
and substantial iron fence. The gate being ajar, we 
entered, and read, upon a plain headstone of marble, 
the following inscription : 

" 'A Cruce Salus.' 

" John Harris, of Yorkshire, England, the friend of 
Mr. Penn, and father of the founder of Harrisburg, 
Died December, 1748, in the communion of the 
Church of England." 

In the midst of one of the now busiest quarters of 
the city stands a soldier's monument, one hundred and 
ten feet high, which is said to have cost eighteen thous- 
and dollars, with the following inscription upon a large 
stone tablet: "To the soldiers of Dauphin county, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 377 

who gave their lives for the life of the Union, in the 
war for the suppression of the rebellion, 1861-1865. 
Erected by their fellow citizens, 1869." 

Of the churches, none impressed me more than did 
** Grace M. E. Church," a very pretentious and mas- 
sive pile of stone, erected in 1871. The old "State 
House " still stands as I knew it when a boy, with very 
little change, except that an addition has been made to 
it, to increase its capacity. 

While stopping at Harrisburg, we concluded to 
spend a day at Gettysburg, and on the morning of May 
29th took passage on a train for that noted and ever 
memorable battle ground ; the distance from Harrisburg 
is about forty miles, so that the visit could be easily made 
in a day. The country intervening, no pen can describe, 
for beauty of landscape and perfection of cultivation — 
the fancied paradise of the faithful could scarely rival 
it. Gettysburg is a beautiful little city, beautifully 
located, having some good hotels, residences, and pub- 
lic buildings, claiming a population of some thirty-five 
hundred inhabitants. We were fortunate in making 
the acquaintance of Mr. Jno. E. Hughes, proprietor of 
the " City Hotel," for we found in him a thorough 
gentleman. He furnished us with a team of horses and 
a guide, who had been a soldier and was thoroughly 
posted in matters military, to drive us over the grounds, 
and point out and explain the many localities and objects 
of interest, which he did, it seemed to me, as only he 



378 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

could do it. The extent of the grounds occupied by 
troops was many times greater than I had supposed, 
as you may judge, when I state that it required the 
better part of half a day to drive us over and around 
them. Many evidences of the contest still remain, in 
the way of shot and shell, which have left their impress 
on many of the older houses and trees of the vicinity. 
The army of the Potomac, at Gettysburg, was composed 
of 249 regiments of infantry, 39 regiments of cavalry, 
and 72 batteries of artillery ; in all, 360 organizations. 
The Confederate army was composed of 183 regiments of 
infantry, 30 of cavalr}^, and 67 batteries, a total of 280 
organizations, containing a greater number of troops 
than the Union forces. The Union losses were 23,003. 
There is no official data of the Confederate losses at 
Gettysburg, but it is known to be far greater than the 
Union forces. New York and Pennsylvania lost most 
heavily, the former 6,705, and the latter 5,876 ; Indiana, 
552. The monuments erected to noted persons, and 
marking important positions and events, number about 
400, some of which were ver}^ expensive. The govern- 
ment intends to convert the grounds into a beautiful 
public park, and to that end has appropriated money to 
construct sixt}^ miles of drive- way, at a cost of $5,000 
per mile. 

Arrived at Baltimore Saturday, May 30, at 6 : 00 p.m. , 
we found first-class accommodations at the " Eutaw 
House." On the following da}^, which was Sunday, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 379 

pursuing the bent of our inclinations for sight-seeing, 
we wended our w^ay, first, to " Druid Hill Park," and 
could scarcely have done better, even had we been wor- 
shipfully inclined, and gone to church ; for we found 
it a magnificent place, extensive and beautiful, crowned 
and adorned with native forest trees, such as oaks, elms, 
maples, ash, etc., which reminded me, forcibly, of 
Bryant's beautiful lines, " the woods were God's first 
temples." And here w^ere walks, and drives, and lakes, 
and lawns, and statuary, and inviting seats, and shade 
and sunshine, and refreshing breeze, with ever}^ com- 
fort and accommodation the heart could ask or wish. 
And do you ask if there were also ' ' cyclists ' ' in the 
park? Aye, a thousand within sight, of both sexes, 
and all sizes and conditions. The merriest, happiest 
throng you ever saw. "The woods were God's first 
temples," and the parks and the groves are the paradise 
of mortals here below. Let everj^ human being get 
out and go forth to the woods and the fields and the 
streams, and read and enjoy the glorious, open book of 
Nature — acquire its secrets, and be happy. 

During our stay in Baltimore, we visited several 
other breathing places of this beautiful city, the best of 
which was " Patterson Park ; " it was also adorned with 
trees and walks, and lakes and fountains, and great 
vases and statuary, and an elevated "look-out," from 
the top of which an extended view of the countr}^, round 
about, was to be had. The city has many objects of 



380 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

interest, and miles of magnificent residences, all con- 
structed of brick, with basements and steps of pure 
white marble, which are daily scrubbed and scoured 
until they seem as immaculate as a soul just shrived 
from sin. 

From Baltimore we departed for a brief sojourn at 
the capital of the greatest republic on earth — Wash- 
ington City — and which now boasts a population of 
more than 200,000 souls. In point of beauty and 
completeness, it is the realization of a dream. Its 
streets, its parks, its drives, its monuments, its stat- 
uary, its museums, its galleries of art, its public 
buildings and libraries, its stately residences, and 
countless other objects of interest, must be seen to be 
appreciated ; no pen can adequately describe them , and 
mine dare not attempt the task. During our stay we 
ascended the towering Washington monument — to the 
height of five hundred feet ; visited the navy-yard, 
where we saw great guns, thirty feet in length, 
" rifled," and the outer surface turned off as we might 
turn a piece of wood. We also witnessed the transfer 
of some of these monster guns by what was termed a 
"traveling crane," extending across the building an 
hundred feet or more, resting upon wheels at either 
end, reminding one of a railway truck upon the track. 
To the body of this truck, or carriage, or "crane," 
was suspended the object to be transferred, by some 
powerful contrivance, and in a few moments it was 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 381 

raised aloft and on its journey to some distant part of 
the building, drifting along, over the heads of men and 
machinery, like a thing of life — dangerous in seeming, 
but evidently safe, to all below. 

We next climbed the steps of the capitol, and 
strolled through its halls, and rooms, and chambers, 
and galleries, and corridors ; admired the rotunda, the 
paintings and statuary ; reverenced the master mind 
capable of conceiving and executing such a wonderful 
temple to Liberty, and beneath the shadow of its wings 
were awed — we wondered, and admired, and retired. 

On Sunday, June 7th, we joined an excursion to 
"Bay Ridge," Maryland — on the shores of Chesa- 
peake Bay, some fifty miles northeast of Washington. 
The place proved to be a most beautiful and attrac- 
tive summer resort. Bathing w^as indulged in by 
man}', while various modes of entertainment were 
provided for the multitude preferring other means of 
recreation. The beach was especially attractive to the 
writer, as it is one of the very few that is both sandy 
and pebbly, many of the pebbles being beautifulh' 
rounded by the action of the waves, and either a pure 
white or semi-transparent : 

So that — like a child, in its merriest glee — 
They all became pearls and jewels to me. 

Rarely, indeed, has it been my good fortune to 
spend a few hours more happily than on that beautiful 
Sunday afternoon upon the beach at " Bay Ridge." 



382 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

We next visited "Mount Vernon," the home of 
Washington. It is situated on the west bank of the 
Potomac, sixteen miles below the capital. The trip, 
b}^ steamer, is delightful. On the way down we passed 
the Government arsenal, the Government hospital for 
the insane, the city of Alexandria ; a light-house, on 
''Jones' Point;" "Fort Foote," on the Maryland 
shore ; and Fort Washington, about twelve miles below 
the city — from this point the visitor gets the first view 
of Mount Vernon. The river is here nearly two miles 
wide, and the mansion, as seen across the wide stretch 
of waters, presents a very fine appearance. As the 
steamer nears the landing, or passes the tomb of 
Washington, the bell is tolled. The tomb of Wash- 
ington is a plain brick structure, with double iron 
gates ; over these, on a marble tablet, are inscribed 
the words : 

" Within this enclosure rest the remains of 
George Washington." 

Two antiquated stone cofiins are seen within ; the 
one facing you is that of the immortal Washington, 
and that to the left contains the remains of Mrs. 
Washington, and is inscribed : 

" Martha, consort of Washington. Died May 21st, 1801, 
aged seventy-one years." 

The old tomb, where the remains of Washington 
rested from his death until 1831, is on the right of the 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 385 

path, some two hundred yards south of the mansion,, 
and is the one to which Lafayette paid a visit, in 1824 
and 1825. This old tomb is marked " Washington 
Family." A tablet, on the iron gate, reads : 

" Old Tomb, 

"Where Washington's remains rested until 183 . 
Tomb restored by Michigan, 1887." 

At Georgetown we had pointed out to us the former 
residence of Key, the author of the "Star Spangled 
Banner " — a two-story brick structure, which may have 
been 15 x 50, and extremely plain, and built out even 
with the sidewalk, or very nearly so. We were also 
shown the cottage of Mrs. Southworth, who has prob- 
ably written more fiction than any other woman in 
America. Arrived at "Arlington Heights," we were 
amazed at its beauty and grandeur. It is now the 
resting place of thousands of brave soldiers, who sleep 
the last sleep that comes to us all. 

" The storm that wrecks the wintry sky. 
No more disturbs their sweet repose 
Than Summer evening's latest sigh, 
That shuts the rose." 

Many beautiful and expensive monuments adorn the 
place and record the virtues and the daring of the 
departed. A large, square monument, near the Lee 
mansion, bears the following inscription : 



384 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

" Beneath this stone repose the bones of two thousand 
and eleven unknown soldiers, gathered, after the war, 
from the fields of Bull Run, and the route to the Rappa- 
hannock. Their remains could not be identified, but 
their names and death are recorded in the archives of 
their country, and its grateful citizens honor them as 
of their noble army of martyrs. May they rest in 
peace. September, 1866." 

The estate is on the Virginia side of the Potomac, 
directlj^ opposite the cit3^ It comprises about twelve 
hundred acres, and once seen, can never be forgotten. 
It was purchased for ^ii,ooo, or about $55,000, by 
Jno. Custis, the father-in-law of Martha Washington, 
early in the eighteenth century. Arlington House is 
a noble looking structure, and consists of a central 
building, sixt}^ feet long, with a portico of eight Ionic 
columns. There are two wings, each fort}^ feet long. 
In the rear are the slave quarters, kitchen, stable, etc. 
The house is constructed of brick, and stuccoed. It has, 
near by, a glorious well of sparkling water, deep and cool , 
in which are suspended two oaken buckets, one of which 
comes up as the other goes down, for the purest of nec- 
tar that nature can j^ield. The government paid to Mr. 
George Washington Custis Lee §150,000 for this prop- 
erty. The portion of Arlington set apart for the ceme- 
tery, comprises about two hundred acres. The total 
number of bodies interred in the cemeter}^ is over six- 
teen thousand, or about a thousand more than at Gettys- 
burg. The streets of Washington City are mostl}^ paved 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 385 

with asphalt, or concrete, and the sidewalks with 
cement, and their equal is probably nowhere else to be 
found. The colored brother abounds, and the older 
ones almost invariably take to the streets when walking. 
This custom I suppose to be a relic of anti-bellum days, 
when he had few rights a white man was bound to 
respect. The younger ones, however, usurp their full 
share, and do not hesitate to jostle their white brethren 
on the way. Meeting a citizen one da}^, at a corner 
store, while awaiting a car, I made some remarks con- 
cerning the splendid condition of their streets and 
walks, and said they must certainly be a great boon to 
" cyclists." He replied by saying that they certainly 
were, and that there were at least 30,000 bic3^cles in 
daily use in Washington City. 

On the evening of the 6th of June we had the 
pleasure of hearing a two hours' performance b}^ the 
"Marine Band," on the lawn in the rear of the Presi- 
dent's house. The music, to my untutored ear, was 
simpl}^ marvelous, and the attendance of citizens and 
strangers very large. Washington offers so many 
attractions that months might be spent in the vain 
endeavor to exhaust them all, and we left the city with 
regret. On the evening of the eighth of June, we took 
passage on board a steamer bound for Norfolk, Vir- 
ginia, and arrived at our destination about 8 A. m. next 
morning. The cit}" is said to be above one hundred 
and fifty j^ears old, and the harbor one of the best in 



386 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

the world. We saw manj^ large vessels at anchor here. 
The population is claimed to be sixty thousand, about 
one-third of whom are negroes. There are many fine 
residences here, and man}- other evidences of wealth, 
but they are seemingly of a past age. Some good store 
rooms are to be seen, but the greater number are not 
up to the ideas of a progressive people. The colored 
man performs about all the rougher manual labor, raises 
immense crops of fruits, vegetables and peanuts, for 
home consumption and for shipment abroad. At the 
time we were there, we sometimes saw as many as an 
hundred men, women and children at work in a single 
field. I cannot say whether they generall}^ own the 
grounds or not, but the improvements were universally 
poor. The black man is a slovenly w^orker and a 
shiftless creature, and his reward is accordingly. We 
have seen him drive a bugg}^ into Norfolk with an ox 
in the shafts. On a Sunday the young bucks, each with 
his "best girl," ma}^ be seen parading the streets in 
very good attire. The}^ are also very fond of riding in 
the street cars, to the great discomfort of the more fas- 
tidious whites. 

I neither saw nor heard anything to indicate an 
unfriendly feeling toward the North. The war deprived 
them of their slaves, and left them stranded and help- 
less, for a time, but I doubt not that the}^ have been 
gainers in the end, while man}' a slave, when freed, 
was greatly the looser in all but principle. He gained 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 387 

his liberty, but assumed new cares and duties for which 
he was unprepared. But in time, the balance will doubt- 
less adjust itself to the new conditions, and all be better 
for the change. While at Norfolk we visited two sum- 
mer resorts on the sea-shore, one of which was *' Ocean 
View," some eight miles from the city ; the other was 
*' Virginia Beach," eighteen miles distant. Each 
boasted good hotel accommodations, good bathing 
grounds, and such other peculiar inducements as are 
usually found at like resorts, in addition to a barren, 
sandy beach, redeemed and relieved, to some extent, 
by the restless ocean's flow, whose might and majesty 
no tongue can tell. 

" Koll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean, roll ; 
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; 
Man marks thy ruin — his control stops with the shore." 

The city of Norfolk is said to be but six feet above 
sea level, and in many parts not so much as even three. 
The citizens claim a very low death rate, but they have, 
nevertheless, a very large cemetery within the corporate 
limits. 

We saw many handsome women here, but they 
were much given to the use of the negro dialect and 
inflection. A beautiful and apparently cultured 3^oung 
lady would say, in reply to a question, " Yes, sah," or 
" No, sah," as the case might be, and many other like 
expressions, borrowed from her colored brother ; but, 



388 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

on the other hand, he seems to have profited httle by 
association with the whites ; he is too indolent, too 
animal and too stupid. The people seemed exceedingly 
kind and obliging, but must be very non-progressive, if 
it be fair to judge them by what we saw around us. 
In a city having three times the population of Rich- 
mond, we do not recall the sight of a single new 
building in course of construction, except that of a 
brewery and artificial ice plant. Norfolk was the only 
city visited I should not care to see a second time. Its 
attractions are few and tame. In my opinion, slavery 
and the negro have blighted it for all time to come. 

The 15th of June, towards evening, found us 
snugly quartered at the Windsor Hotel, in Phila- 
delphia. We had left Norfolk, by rail, via Richmond, 
Alexandria, Washington and Baltimore, making four 
transfers on the way, in a distance of some three 
hundred miles, but were always fortunate in close 
connections and fast trains. Our hotel was centrally 
located — on Filbert street — and consequently in the 
near vicinity of the Broad street station of the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad, the great City Building, the United 
States Mint, Wannamaker's famous store, and sundry 
other places of note and interest. The city is nearly 
six miles wide and twenty-two in length, and covers an 
area of more than one hundred and thirty squar^e miles. 
It has thirty-six hundred acres devoted to public parks, 
the largest of which is Fairmount, which contains over 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 389 

twenty-eight hundred acres. There are three principal 
and many smaller ones, and for the past six or seven 
years more than $500,000 per annum has been 
expended for their improvement. Philadelphia has 
always been regarded as a slow city, but it possesses 
vast w^ealth, is well and substantially built of brick, 
and to go over it, as we did, b}^ car and cab, and on 
foot, and behold its well built and ornate business 
blocks and many magnificent residences, one is simply 
amazed, and cannot help but w^onder and admire. 

The Pennsylvania Railroad depot, at Broad and 
Market streets, is a splendid example of modern 
Gothic architecture. The main building of the depot 
has a frontage of three hundred and six feet on Broad 
street, and two hundred and twelve feet on Market. 
Beneath it runs Fifteenth street, and on the north side 
Filbert street. The train shed is a marvel of engi- 
neering skill, for it is a single span of iron and glass, 
three hundred and four feet in width, six hundred feet 
in length, and one hundred and forty-six and one- half 
feet in height, and covers sixteen tracks. More than 
twenty milhon persons are said to enter and leave this 
depot by train annuall}^ and this is but one of many 
great S3^stems of railways entering this city. 

No visit to Philadelphia would be complete without 
an inspection of Wannamaker's great store. We were 
over it and through it several times during our stay in 
the city, and always found it a source of renewed 



390 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

interest. The stock on hand is claimed to aggregate 
$4,000,000, and it is next to impossible to inspect its 
multitude of objects without making a purchase ; we 
are not easily tempted, 3^et we could not do it. We 
feel sure that on one occasion we saw, at least, a 
thousand persons on a single floor. Lunch is served, 
and mild drinks are to be had b}' any one applying. 
For the convenience of patrons, many waiting, reading 
and toilet rooms are provided. No description can 
convey a just conception of the place — a visit alone 
can do it. 

On the morning of June 17th we called at the U. S. 
mint, and were soon waited upon by a courteous officer, 
who showed us over the establishment, and explained 
to us all processes employed in making monej^ from 
the bar to the completed coin, several specimens of 
which we brought away with us as souvenirs, which 
had been struck while we were present. There is on 
display, and in the possession of the mint, one of the 
largest and most complete collections of foreign and 
American coins in the world, numbering many thous- 
ands of pieces, from every part of the habitable world. 
The mint was first established in 1792, but the present 
building was not erected until 1833. Visitors are 
admitted daily from 9: 00 A. m. to 12:00, noon, except 
Sundays. 

One of the marvels of Philadelphia is its wonderful 
City Building, begun in 187 1, and not yet completed, 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 391 

but which has cost, up to date, $18,000,000, and may 
cost several more milhons to complete it. The tower, 
which stands at the north extremity of the building, is 
five hundred and fifty feet high, and, excepting the 
Washington Monument, is the highest building in the 
world. The Cit}^ Hall stands upon Centre or Pennsyl- 
vania square. The building is constructed in the form 
of a hollow square, with passage ways connecting both 
Broad and Market streets. It is four stories high, in 
theory, but actually has eight floors, each of which 
contains a multitude of rooms, numbering, in the aggre- 
gate, nearly eight hundred. The lofty tow^er is sur- 
mounted by a statue of William Penn, of heroic size, 
being over nineteen feet in height, and proportioned 
accordingly. During the course of our stay in the "City 
of Brotherly Love," w^e made it our business, daily, to 
traverse its various districts, to the extent of our time 
and opportunit}^ b}' cab, car, or on foot, and thus 
become as familiar as possible with its more interesting 
features, and the wonderful magnitude of this great 
human hive, where poverty and riches, love and hatred, 
happiness and misery, must ever abound. 

Our next and objective point was the cit}^ of New 
York, where we arrived June 19, about noon, stopping 
at the " Saint Stephens" hotel, on Eleventh street, near 
Broadway, during the remainder of our stay in the 
East. The location is most desirable, and the accom- 
modations and fare all the most exacting and fastidious 



392 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

could ask. The facilities for getting about the city 
are, of course, first-class, and the tourist only needs to 
know where it is most desirable to go, and acquaint 
himself with the best and most convenient means of 
attaining the end desired. There are so many objects 
of interest in a cit}" so vast, that it is no easy matter for 
a novice, in traveling and sight-seeing, to determine 
what to see and not to see, or even how to see. At 
length, however, one becomes accustomed to his sur- 
roundings, and shortl}^ feels at home, even in this mod- 
ern Babjdon. Having been a visitor here on many 
former occasions (though soleh^in the interest of busi- 
ness pursuits), we had, nevertheless, learned something 
of its wonders and its devious wa3^s. We were, there- 
fore, not long in putting into execution the plaris we 
had matured. So that, early in the afternoon of the 
da}^ of our arrival, we entered a Broadway car, destined 
for City Hall Park, the New York terminal of the great 
Brookh'n Bridge. Here we ascended a considerable 
flight of stairs, which brought us, at length, to a land- 
ing or station above, where we, for the second time, 
entered a car, which, for a fare of three cents, or five 
cents for two persons, promptl}' transferred us to the 
other side of Kast river, where we, for a third time, 
took passage, this time on an elevated train which must 
be over thirty feet from the ground, as we were above 
the third stor}^ of the houses, along the way, and thus 
we traversed the cit}' of Brooklyn, in the direction of 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 393 

Greenwood Cemetery, our objective point, for several 
miles. We had a magnificent view, from our car win- 
dows, of the cit)^ and its surroundings, including New 
York Harbor and its shipping, and the great Statue of 
Liberty. Arrived at our destination, we left our car 
and descended by a covered w^ay to the ground, and on 
approaching the beautiful and artistic arched entrance 
to the cemetery, w^e found a carriage service aw^aiting 
the hourly arrival of sight-seers. We soon engaged 
the services of an intelHgent and communicative son of 
Erin, who, of course, was familiar with all the points 
of interest, as his business required him to be. He 
conveyed us over miles and miles of winding ways, 
amid this indescribable "city of the dead," whose 
beauties and marvels it would be folly to attempt to 
describe. The surface is, in man}' places, undulating, 
and ever}' opportunity has been embraced to still further 
enhance, by art, that which Nature here so lavishly 
bestowed. The original grounds consisted of one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres, which have since been 
increased to four hundred and seventy-five acres, the 
present dimensions. The first interment was made 
September 5th, 1840, and the total number of inter- 
ments to January ist, 1894, ^'^^ ^1^^511- There is a 
receiving vault in the grounds capable of accommodat- 
ing 1,500 bodies. The cemetery has seven lakes, of 
varying dimensions ; sixty-two hydrants ; twenty miles 
of drain tile ; ninety-eight cess pools, and one thousand 



394 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

two hundred receiving basins. There are five entrances, 
the northern or main entrance being at Fifth avenue 
and Twentieth street. The interments average eighteen 
to twenty per da}^, or over six thousand per annum. 
The monuments, tombs and statuar}^ to be seen here 
are truh^ marvelous, and must excite the wonder and 
admiration of ever}^ beholder. The funds of the cor- 
poration, on January- ist, 1894, amounted to $1,608,743. 
Saturda}'', Jufie 20th. This morning we walked from 
our hotel, on Eleventh street, near Broadway, to Thir- 
teenth street, where we entered an omnibus whose trips 
terminated near the Sixty-fifth street entrance to Cen- 
tral Park, riding a distance of about six miles for the 
trifling fare of five cents each. As at Greenwood Cem- 
etery, so at the park, also, were carriages in waiting to 
convey visitors over the grounds, eight hundred acres 
in extent, and probably the most interesting and thor- 
oughl}^ developed place, of its kind, an}' American city 
can boast. We soon engaged seats in one of the 
vehicles, and, with several other passengers in pursuit 
of knowledge and objects new, we were driven over 
and around this veritable " Garden of Eden" for the 
space of more than two hours, amid lakes and foun- 
tains, and flowers, and statuar\^ and bridges, and rocks, 
and streams, and lawns, and trees and shrubbery, and 
walks and drives, innumerable. Returning, at the end 
of the journey, to the point from whence we started, 
we alighted, and re-entering the grounds on foot, we 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 395 

sought new sights to conquer, and ' * their name was 
legion." Among the more important, we may name 
two extensive museums, filled with works of art, ancient 
and modern ; a zoological garden, embracing many 
specimens of bird and beast, from the Arctic regions to 
the Torrid zone ; and last, but not least, the Obelisk 
of Sienite, brought from Alexandria, in Egypt, in 1880, 
at a cost of $75,000 for transportation over a distance 
of 5,382 miles. It was erected near the Art Museum, 
and consists of a single shaft sixty-nine feet in height, 
a pedestal of seven feet, and a base of five, making a 
total height of eighty-one feet. The base is seven feet 
and eight inches in diameter, and the whole shaft is 
covered with hieroglyphics, or picture writing, more 
than two thousand years old. On the afternoon of the 
same day on which we paid a visit to the park, we, in 
company with a merchant friend, of our own city, who 
was a guest at the same hotel at which we made our 
temporary home, took a car to the foot of Broadway, 
and from thence a boat to Coney Island, some ten or 
twelve miles distant, where we found a great throng of 
visitors and pleasure-seekers. Some bathing, many 
strolling along the beach, or divertitig themselves in 
various ways, as inclination led or fancy dictated. Up 
to this time, no hotel had opened its portals for the 
reception of the " Summer girl " and her mamma. A 
little later, however, all would be ready, and the charm- 
ing creatures would ' * dance attendance ' ' to the tune 



396 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

of many dollars a day, to flirt with some brainless fop ; 
while papa was still immured in his dingy ofiice, coining 
his brain into the almighty "needful," for the main- 
tenance of his fashionable butterfly family at the sea- 
side. 

We found many ' * tricks ' ' and * * traps ' ' and 
questionable devices here, to lure the unwary into 
parting with their hard-earned dimes. The Eastern 
"Yankee" seems unusually prolific of schemes, and 
is not unfrequently a counterpart of the spider that 
sought to inveigle the fl}^ Anything but common, 
every-day labor for him — it is degrading, in his e^^'es, 
and, besides, it makes one tired. 

While still sojourning at the Saint Stephen's, we 
received a kindl}^ invitation from an Israelitish gentle- 
man, with whom my merchant friend was acquainted, 
to pay a visit to the Hebrew Orphans' Home on the 
afternoon of the following day — which was Sunday, 
June 2 1 St — at which time and place he would meet 
us, and take great pleasure in showing us through the 
institution, which is located, if m}' memor}^ serves me, 
in the vicinit}' of One Hundred and Twenty-fifth 
street, near the banks of the Hudson river. Accord- 
ingly, about 2 : GO p. m. the following da}^, we sought 
a car on the Elevated road, and soon found ourselves 
at the portals of this noble charity, cordially greeted 
by our new-made friend, who introduced us to the 
physician and other ofiicials of the Home. The build- 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 397 

ing is charmingly located and constructed of brick, 
some four stories in height. It consists of two distinct 
structures, joined front and rear, having an open court 
between, one side being occupied b}^ the boys and the 
other by the girls. No child is received into the 
institution under five years of age, nor over fourteen. 
At the latter age homes and places of business are 
provided for them, with respectable and responsible 
people, where they may grow up to lives of usefulness 
and honor. At the present time there are about five 
hundred boys and two hundred and fifty girls being 
cared for. The t3^pes of the boj^s were distinctively 
Jewish, and, having come from the lower orders, very 
few were good-looking, though many were bright. Of 
the little girls, a considerable number were really 
handsome, modest and retiring. On our first entrance 
to the place we found about two hundred of the older 
boys being drilled in military tactics. We were subse- 
quently shown through the school-rooms of both sexes, 
and found them graded as in our public schools. Some 
were being taught type-writing, others short-hand, and 
so on through the various grades, the supreme object 
being, as far as possible, to prepare them for the 
inevitable "battle of life." We were taken through 
every part of the great building, from top to bottom. 
Beginning with the laundry, we passed into and 
through the dining-room, the dormitories, the parlor, 
reception rooms, library and office rooms, etc., and 



398 POEMS AND SKETCHES, 

we must say, most emphaticalh', that a better kept, 
more tid}" or more cleanly place, we never saw ; the 
management seemed perfect, the children polite, 
respectful, orderly and happy. Long may the noble 
institution flourish, to do good ! In one of the lower 
rooms we saw an exquisite piece of statuary, in Italian 
marble, recently donated b}^ a friend of the Home, at a 
cost, to him, of $3,000. It was the creation of a native 
of Cincinnati, Ohio, now an artist in Italy. The piece, 
without the pedestal, may be three feet in height, and 
represents Pharaoh's daughter holding aloft and at 
arm's length the infant Moses. The figure is nude, 
and beautiful to a degree rarely conceived or executed. 

Having now gone over most the ground contem- 
plated for the trip, we were not long in preparing for 
the return homeward. Accordingly, on Monday, June 
2 2d, we wended our wa}' to the Pennsylvania depot, 
where we secured seats and berths in the palace car 
" Jouna," of the fast train, No. 21, which leaves New 
York City at 2:13 p. m. for the west, and on this 
swiftly moving car arrived home, in Richmond, the 
next da}', at 10:30 a. m., having traversed the inter- 
vening distance of eight hundred miles inside of 
twent3'-one hours — after an absence of thirty da5;s — 
without an}' untoward incident or accident, fraught 
only with pleasing recollections of agreeable experi- 
ences, happier, wiser and better for the outing. 

August 14, 1896. 



PIONEER DEAD 



— OF- 



CENTRAL, SOUTHERN AND EASTERN 
WAYNE COUNTY. 



"■ Beneath those rugged elms, that beech tree's shade, 
Where heaves the turf, in many a mouldering heap. 
Each in his narrow cell, forever laid, 
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep. 

"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife 
Their sober wishes never learned to stray; 
Along the cool, sequestered vale of life 
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way. 

" For them, no more, the blazing hearth shall burn, 
Or busy housewife ply her evening care; 
No children run, to lisp their sire's return, 
Or climb his knee, the envied kiss to share." 



400 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



FIRST SETTLERS, 

WHOSE TIME OF COMING IS DEFINITELY KNOWN, BUT WHOSE PLACE 
OF INTEEMENT IS NOT. 



The earliest immigrants to tliis neighborhood were princi- 
palh" from Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio. 



CAME. DIED. AGE. 

Richard Rue 1805 

George Holman 1805 1859 99 

Joseph AVoodkirk 1805 ... 90 

Benjamin Hill 1806 ... 70 

Robert Hill 1806 1850 80 

John Smith 1806 1838 82 

Ralph Wright 1807 . . 94 

John McLane ] 810 1838 81 

James Pegg 1814 1839 71 

Thomas Moore . 1815 1839 93 

John Pegg 1813 

William Williams - 1814 1824 61 

John Wright 1821 1838 76 

Jeremiah Cox 1806 1826 75 

John Morrow 1808 1825 60 

Andrew Hoover 1806 1834 83 

Thomas Roberts 1840 81 

Cornelius Ratliff, Sr 1810 ... 70 

John Burgess 1808 ... 70 

Andrew Morrow 1809 

John Townsend 1853 90 

John Addington 1806 ... 90 

Mrs. Addington (mother of John) .... 1806 ... 103 

Jacob Meek 1806 1842 90 

John Hawkins 1807 ... 75 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



401 



CAME. DIED 

Ephraim Overman 1807 

Thomas McCoy . 1805 

Joseph Wasson (Revolutionary soldier) . . 1806 

Peter Fleming 1807 

James Alexander 1807 

Jacob Foutz 1806 

Valentine Pegg 1809 

Benjamin Small 1807 

Richard AVilliams 1814 

David Hoover 1806 

Samuel Charles 1812 

John Charles 1809 

William Blunk, or Blount 1805 



1866 
1840 



AGE. 

80 

85 
75 
80 
85 
80 
80 

85 
91 



PIONEER DEAD, 



WHOSE TIME OF COMING IS NOT KNOWN. 



EARLHAM CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Timothy Harrison (born in England) 1881 48 

Charles Morgan 1864 63 

Ph«be Johnson 1863 39 

Stephen C. Mendenhall (son of James) 1887 59 

James Mendenhall (father of Stephen C.) . • • • 1893 88 

Milhcent Mendenhall 1892 81 

Margaret Poe 1853 64 

James M. Poe (Teacher, J. P. and City Mayor) . . 1879 74 

Elizabetli Chandler 1851 74 

John H. Thomas (early blacksmith) 1884 78 

Dr. Ithamer Warner (born 1782) 1835 53 



402 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. A(iE. 

Elizabeth B. Johnson (wife of Benjamin) .... 1887 60 

Mary White (born 1800) 1878 78 

Fredolin Schlagel 1882 83 

Sarah A. Schlagel (wife of Fredolin) 1869 61 

Sarah H. Ward (wife of Daniel) 1888 85 

Joseph Dickinson (born 1820) 1895 75 

Esther G. Dickinson (wife of Joseph) 1891 76 

Isaac P. Es^ans (born 1821) 1882 61 

Jesse J. Kenworthy 1864 37 

Josiah H. Test • 1864 38 

Daniel Ward 1864 64 

Thos. Mason (born 1812) 1893 81 

Burgess J. Legg (born 1826) 1887 61 

James Eliason (born 18 i9) . 1884 55 

Dr. 0. P. Baer (born 1816) 1888 72 

Alexander C. Dill (born 1812) 1863 51 

Jane Dill (born 1819) 1894 75 

Joseph Kern 1875 83 

Elizabeth Hunt (wife of Clayton, Sr.) 1881 67 

David Vore (early carpenter) 1865 67 

Nathan Doan (born 1824) 1891 67 

William Baxter (born in England) 1886 62 

Samuel E. Iredell (tailor) 1865 55 

Joseph Thatcher (born 1799) 1867 68 

Rebecca K. Carter (wife of Charles) 1890 69 

AbbyS. Dennis (wife of Wm.T.) 1882 62 

Andrew F. Yaughan, Sr 1879 53 

Lydia L. Hoover {nee Yaughan) 1893 91 

Jno. G. Fryar 1894 71 

Nancy Cole (unmarried) 1877 85 

Samuel N. Foulke 1883 84 

Jno. Suffrins (pioneer hatter) 1875 83 

Henry Adams 1884 81 

Mary M.Leeds 1874 45 

JoannaP. Laws (wife of Jno. M.) 1894 83 

Jno. M. Laws (pioneer merchant) 1867 64 

Joseph P. Laws (son of Jno. M.) 1867 36 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 403 



DIED. AGE. 

Pamelia McWhinney 1870 83 

Milton HoUingsworth (a noted teacher) 1871 47 

Allen Z. Fisk 1872 45 

Dr. William B. Smith 1856 48 

James L. Morrisson 1893 76 

Lydia C. Mo rrisson (^ wife of James L.) 1893 75 

Mrs. C. A. Reeves 1889 62 

Xathan Charles (farmer) 1871 64 

Mary Charles (wife of Xathan) 1888 82 

Anthony Pitman 1875 77 

Margaret Pitman 1880 77 

Susan B. Erwin 

Frances W. Robinson (wife of Francis W.) . . . 1895 80 

Edwin Cokayne 1890 61 

George W. Vanneman 1878 72 

Eliza Vanneman (wife of George W.) 1882 75 

Robert Cox (born 1814) 1890 76 

John Yaryan (born 1802 ; lawyer) 1894 92 

Sarah P. Yaryan (wife of John) 1895 72 

Mary P. Haines (wife of Joshua AV.) 1884 58 

George S. Thomas 1890 69 

Dr. Israel Tennis 1886 80 

Mary E. Tennis (wife of Israel) 1891 80 

Phineas Lamb (farmer) 1887 62 

Timothy Marsh 1874 56 

Abraham Earnist (early merchant) 1882 71 

William H. Dalbey . •' 1862 57 

Mary Ann Dalbey 1886 80 

Captain John Hunt 1884 58 

Rebecca I. Hunt (wife of Capt. John) 1889 60 

Cornelius Bartlow 1885 78 

Elizabeth Bartlow (wife of Cornelius) 1885 77 

Adna Bradway (born 1814) 1885 71 

Margaret Thompson (wife of Benjamin) ..... 1864 88 

Richard Jackson (merchant and manufacturer) . 1881 54 

Mary J. Russell (wife of George W.) 1884 56 

Ellen R. Black 1896 67 



404 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

Catharine H. Wilson 1892 86 

Nancy AYillianis 1879 76 

IMary B. Birdsall (wife of Thomas) 1894 66 

John H. Hutton (tailor) 1873 61 

Sarah A. E. Hntton 1888 76 

AVilliam Norris 1885 59 

Levinus King (woolen manufacturer) 1887 88 

Eliza Ann King 1885 79 

John W. King (son of Levinus) 1881 57 

Hannah H. Dilks 1880 64 

Agnes Crawford (wife of D. B.) 1887 79 

X, Leonard (dry goods merchant) 1886 70 

Helen M. Leonard (wife of N.) 1884 60 

Abraham Phillips (early undertaker) 1884 64 

Jane Gray McGirr 1887 73 

Frances Thurston 1884 66 

Leonard AVolfer (early grocer) 1893 79 

Christina Wolfer (wife of Leonard) 1885 70 

Captain Lewis Henchman 1882 89 

A. H. Chapman 1878 52 

Alfred Dunlop 1892 61 

AValker Holmes 1888 77 

Mary J. Holmes 1887 69 

Frances Newton Scott 1885 63 

Ingeborg C. Borscheim (native of Norway) . . . 1893 66 

Henry H. Fetta 1892 53 

AVilliam F. Spinning (liveryman) 1861 37 

Naomi B. Henley (wife of John) 1872 54 

Edwin A. Jones 1873 43 

William Boyse (retired) 1853 64 

Mary Boyse( wife of William) 1891 86 

James McWhinney 1879 62 

Dr. Charles A. Wedekind 1875 82 

Amelia D. Wedekind (wife of Charles A.) . . . . 1875 78 . 

Sarah A. Burroughs 1882 63 

William N. Cammack 1861 64 

Julia B. Brady Dormer (wife of K. 0.; born 1836) 1878 42 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 405 



DIED. AGE. 

Henry Henley (carpenter and builder) 1883 57 

Lucy A. Henley 1889 61 

Mary J. Hamilton (wife of James) 1890 56 

Stiles Dougan 1886 53 

William Norris 1885 59 

Nathan Kitson 1857 52 

William H. Goode (minister M. E. Church) . . . 1879 72 

Deborah W. Sutton (wife of David) 1888 53 

Ann S. Woodhurst (wife of John) 1884 75 

Joseph P. Strattan 1878 79 

John J. Roney (early blacksmith) 1895 77 

Nancy Ogborn (wife of Wm. E.) 1891 79 

Joseph S. Steddom 1888 61 

Rev. Charles W. Miller (Methodist) 1872 55 

Joseph W. Gilbert (proprietor early stage coach) . 1890 91 

Elizabeth Gilbert (wife of Joseph W.) 1890 89 

Caleb Shearon (hatter, etc.) 1854 58 

Elizabeth Shearon (wife of Caleb) 1885 85 

Alfred TuUidge (merchant) 1886 71 

Belinda Tullidge (wife of Alfred) 1880 60 

Martha Scott (wife of Andrew F.) 1888 80 

William H. Schlater (county official) 1886 54 

William W. Lynde (earh^ grocer) 1876 64 

Mary Lynde / \ 1887 79 

John Hawkins (farmer) 1891 79 

Sarah Hawkins (wife of John) 1887 73 

Isaac R. Howard (wholesale grocer) 1887 59 

Jonathan Baldwin 1896 81 

Mary Ann Baldwin (Avife of Jonathan) 1891 76 

Henry Study 1882 72 

Sarah L. Study 1892 81 

Dr. Vierling Kersey 1875 66 

Mary Emily Kersey (wife of Dr. Vierling) .... 1872 54 

Rachael Kersey 1868 87 

Joseph Strawb ridge (farmer) 1862 56 

Rebecca Strawbridge (wife of Joseph) 1875 74 

Levi Hawkins (farmer) 1888 54 



406 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

Charles C. Polly (trader) 1889 68 

Susan Zeller 1877 73 

Milton Foulke 1893 67 

Jane Foulke 1891 65 

Hannah Washburn (wife of William) 1865 46 

Margaret Perkins 1880 61 

Albert E. Powell 1887 62 

Everette H. Winchester 1885 53 

Jeremiah Hadley (merchant) 1878 73 

Esther Hadley 1861 42 

Daniel B. Robbins (merchant) 1882 58 

James B. Brower 1881 60 

Sarah L. Crocker (wife of Benjamin) 1883 50 

Milton Whitacre 1884 57 

Sarah B. Whitacre 1891 60 

Daniel Jarrett 1872 64 

Elizabeth Jarrett 1893 83 

Vincent G. Newman 1883 75 

Elijah H. Githens (early grocer) 1882 74 

Rebecca Morrison (wife of John D.) 1878 82 

MaryElderkin 1891 70 

Jacob Shelly 1884 75 

Rosannah B. Ruby (wife of Ambrose S.) 1890 81 

Mary Roberts (wife of Jonathan) 1888 78 

Philemon F. Wiggins 1874 48 

Daniel P. Wiggins (tanner) 1875 81 

Andrew Finley, Sr., 1845 80 

Andrew Finley, Jr., (brother of John Finley) . . 1839 30 

Mary Petty (wife of E. G.) 1853 50 

S. L. Hittle (broker and financier) 1875 58 

Anna G. Hittle (wife of S. L.) 1895 72 

Malinda Gaar Scott (wife of William G.) .... 1848 27 

Betsey M. Scott (wife of William G.) 1862 40 

William M. Thompson (grocer) 1894 56 

Sarah A. Hollingsworth 1892 66 

James P. Reid 1895 69 

Sarah J. Cunningham (wife of J. A., merchant) . 1887 56 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 407 



DIED. AGE. 

Emily J. Van Uxem (wife of James) 1892 73 

Emily L. Strattan (wife of Benjamin) 1879 62 

Maria Weist (wife of Andrew) 1892 70 

John McWhinney 1845 55 

John W. Thompson 1875 55 

James B. Hunnicutt, jeweler 1868 41 

Andrew Shearon 1889 69 

Angeline E. Shearon (wife of Andrew) . . . 1892 71 

Samuel W. Gaar (of Gaar, Scott & Co.) 1893 69 

Horatio N. Land (of Gaar, Scott & Co.) 1893 61 

Fannie A. Gaar Jones (wife of Oliver) 1894 61 

William Blanchard, Sr. (merchant) 1881 80 

Isabella Blanchard (wife of William) 1883 79 

Abram Gaar (of Gaar, Scott & Co.) 1894 75 

Jonas Gaar, Sr. (of Gaar, Scott & Co.) . . . .' . . 1875 83 

Sarah Gaar (wife of Jonas) 1863 70 

Maria L. Henry 1881 85 

John C. Hadley (early dry goods merchant 'i . . . 1894 80 

Matthew Rattray (weaver) 1872 76 

Elizabeth Rattray 1881 72 

John C. Whitridge (attorney) 1888 50 

Leonard Templeton 1886 79 

Rev. O. Y. Lemon (M.E. church) 1889 77 

Thomas J. Ferguson (early dry goods merchant) . 1873 66 

Martha R. Ferguson 1887 81 

Isabella G. Reeves (wife of James E.) 1861 42 

William Brooks (farmer and merchant) ..... 1882 68 

Thomas B. Vanj^rnam 1883 58 

George Holland (lawyer) 1875 64 

Richard H. Swift 1885 59 

Jesse L. Branson 1890 53 

William H. Dewey (wagon-maker) 1887 71 

M. M. Swayne (wifeof E. H.) 1888 55 

Dr. J. T. Plummer 1865 58 

Sarah O. Plummer 1 877 73 

Benjamin Paden 1859 64 

Joseph I). Fleming 1884 57 



408 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

John Fleming 1844 41 

Daniel McCoy (stone contractor) 1860 55 

Sarah McCoy (wife of Daniel) 1891 82 

Charles A. Dickinson (jeweler) 1885 73 

Ellis Nordyke (manufacturer) 1871 64 

Jesse M. Hutton (coffin works) 1886 77 

Rebecca L. Hutton (wife of Jesse) 1885 63 

Rebecca Hutton 1865 91 

David Mather 1874 64 

Richard Mather 1875 92 

Phineas R. Mather (farmer) 1886 68 

Ruth Ann Mather (wife of Phineas R.) 1875 48 

Jesse P. Siddall (lawyer) 1889 68 

Rev. Geo. Fiske (first rector St. Paul's parish, 1837) 1860 56 

Sophia Fiske (wife of Rev. George) 1859 56 

James Smith (born in Sheffield, England) .... 1885 80 

Sarah J. Smith (wife of James) 1885 74 

Levi Ehason 1890 78 

Dr. Lewis J. Francisco 1874 54 

Nicholas Hudson (grocer) 1876 66 

Samuel Lough (farmer) 1882 89 

Sarah Lough (wife of Samuel) 1874 74 

Rachel S. Lancaster 1873 67 

DeWitt C. McWhinney 1882 54 

James W. Scott ._ 1873 58 

Charles H. Strickland 1875 55 

John A. Bridgland (tobacco merchant) 1880 57 

Caroline Bridgland (wife of John A.) 1880 57 

Samuel Smith 1851 60 

Rachel Smith (wife of Samuel) 1845 56 

Samuel Francis Fletcher (grocer, etc.) 1894 76 

Sarah Cadwallader 1893 94 

Lorenzo D. King 1874 67 

Abijah Moffitt 1891 67 

Hugh Moffitt (farmer) 1885 79 

Charles Newman (wood-turner) 1879 70 

Jason Hamm (dry goods merchant, etc.) . .... 1873 62 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 409 



DIED. a(;e. 

Richard Pedrick (farmer) 1880 81 

Clayton Brown 1872 69 

Lewis M. Baxter (brick-mason) 1891 79 

Daniel Reid (merchant and farmer) 1873 74 

AVm. S. Reid (dry goods merchant and pork packer) 1890 72 

William Kenworthy (tanner) 1877 83 

Marcus Y. Graff 1858 81 

Marcus Y. GratT (express agent) 1865 71 

Esther Starr 1877 82 

Rev. Peter Crocker (Presbyterian) 1855 69 

Gardener Mendenhall (florist) 1875 70 

Paul Barnard (carpenter) 1880 72 

Jonathan Hawkins 1866 63 

John Valentine (farmer) 1888 76 

Rev. Paul Quinn (Bishop African M. E. Church) 1873 70 

Cornelius Ratliff (farmer) 1889 9L 

Mary Ratliff (wife of Cornelius) 1889 87 

Sarah Martin (wife of Benjamin L.) . 1889 82 

Benj. AV. Davis (editor P«?/rtc?/H)/i and postmaster) 1885 70 

Elizabeth F. Davis (wife of Benjamin W.) . . • . 1868 54 

Joseph Thatcher 1867 68 

Henry J. Pyle (farmer) 1865 50 

Nathan Doane 1891 67 

Abbey S. Dennis (wife of William T.) 1882 62 

Dr. J. W. Salter 1886 78 

John Souffrain 1856 80 

Daniel Burgess 1874 70 

William P. Wilson (City Treasurer) 1880 51 

Elizabeth Perry (wife of Judge James) 1882 79 

John \V. Grubbs (pub'd first paper in Henry Co.) 1893 73 

Margaret Grubbs (wife of John W.) 1881 58 

Frederick V, Snider (dry goods merchant) . . . 1883 87 

Mary S. Snider (wife of Frederick V.) 1891 87 

Joseph Coffin (retired ; Centerville) 1892 87 

General T. W. Bennett (attorney and Mayor) . .' 1893 60 

Irvin Reed (in business sixty years) 1891 81 

Dr. Joel Vaile 1868 63 



410 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

William L. Farquhar (merchant and grocer) . . 1887 71 

William H. Bennett (liveryman) 1864 67 

Lydia A. Bennett 1892 92 

John Haines (established Greenmount school) . 1864 57 

Robert N. Cochran 1870 71 

James Hamilton 1872 94 

Oliver Bright well (son of early merchant) .... 1866 39 

EUza Jane McCullough (wife of George} 1846 37 

Rev. Oliver Tillson 18(55 60 

Sophia P. Baylies 1892 80 

Dr. James R. Mendenhall (early physician) . . . 1870 75 

Sarah T. Mendenhall (wife of Dr. James R.) . . . 1893 9-t 

Mary M. Thorpe 1881 64 

Catharine Rankin 1881 87 

Sarah C. Wallace 1881 73 

Benjamin F. Deal (grocer and trader) 1887 57 

William A. Reddish 1892 77 

Henry Farmer 1892 60 

Sarah E. Hollings worth 1889 63 

George Buhl (farmer and grocer) 1882 51 

Christian Buhl, Sr. (early brewer) 1861 ()0 

Sarah Buhl (wife of Christian) 1879 57 

Mary Lallan (wife of William) 1873 54 

James C. Rutter 1876 60 

Oran Huntington (hotel proprietor) 1880 80 

Thankful Mary Ann Huntington (wife of 0.) . . 1838 30 

Ominda Huntington (wife of Oran) 189L 73 

John E. Hugou (furniture dealer) 1894 68 

Phebe A. Thomas (wife of William P.) 1893 66 

E. F. Bush (principal of first commercial college) 1861 50 

John G. Dougan 1873 71 

Sarah Dougan 1879 63 

Nancy McGown (wife of James) 1862 103 

John INlcGown 1860 59 

Laminda G. McGown (wife of James P.) . • . . 1871 60 

Nancy Holmes 1879 69 

David Sands (farmer and pork dealer) 1876 60 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 411 



DIED. a(;e 

W. S. Lancaster 1891 89 

John E. Posey (builder) 1870 70 

Dulcinia Posey 1880 75 

Smith Railsback 1875 37 

William L. Chatfield 1893 62 

Benjamin Paige 1847 68 

Mary Ann Paige (wife of Benjamin) 1841 48 

Ralph A. Paige (merchant) 1887 62 

Hugh S. Hamilton 1844 34 

Mariam Roscoe (wife of T. P.) 1886 68 

Nathan Hawkins (farmer) 1890 82 

Sarah Hawkins (wife of Nathan) 1867 56 

Isaac Walker 1867 80 

Daniel L. Downing (gardener) 1860 71 

William Edmonds 1864 76 

Mary Edmonds (wife of William) 1866 76 

Francis Mnllett (silver plater) 1879 67 

Richard Estell (shoemaker) 1871 67 

William L. Fryar (carpenter) 1883 75 

Mary E. Fryar 1888 78 

John Dennis (grocer) 1892 71 

Rev. Samuel Lamb 1876 68 

Deary Bowers (grocer) 1893 84 

lAicy A, Bowers (wife of Deary) 1885 66 

Eli L. Rogers 1895 77 

Eunice Rogers (.wife of Eli) 1895 76 

William Gauding 1894 82 

Nancy A. AVilson 1879 73 

Hannah Farr 1872 S] 

Robert Moore (farmer) 1887 75) 

Alice R. Moore (wife of Robert) 1891 82 

John Dougan 1842 79 

Martha Dougan 1855 91 

John K. Iliff (painter) 1867 56 

Sarah S. Dougan 1889 82 

Jane R. Dougan 1890 79 

Ph(L'be Jane Paden (wife of Benjamin) 1860 60 

Christian Zimmer (retired merchant) 1897 79 



4lL> POEMS AND SKETCHES. 

MAPLE (JROVE CEMETERY. 

DIED. AGE. 

Joseph Holiuan (fanner and politician) 1873 85 

Nancy Holman (wife of Joseph) 1873 66 

George Hohnan f frontiersman and farmer) . . . 1859 99 

James L. Harris (F. L. T.) 1858 40 

John Harvey Tittle (trader) . 1871 47 

John T. Smith 185G 62 

Enoch ]\IcCullough (of Delaware) 1843 27 

Mrs. Isabella Faulkner (of Philadelphia) .... 1859 67 

Jesse Iden (retired) •. 1857 75 

Susanna Iden (wife of Jesse) 1860 69 

Jane Stokes 1869 83 

Mary Roberts 1883 77 

Catharine Gulliver (colored) 1880 87 

Elizabeth J. McClure 1875 58 

Thomas Young 1853 75 

George Arnold (tailor) 1858 49 

John Morrow 1872 78 

Catharine Leeds Hibberd (wife of Dr. J. F.) . . . 1868 41 

Stephen Elliott 1882 82 

Anna Elliott 1885 81 

Nancy Nutting (born in Watertown, Mass., 1782) 1862 80 



FRIENDS' OLD NORTH SIDE BURY^ING-G ROUNDS. 



DIED. A(tE. 

AVilliam AVilliains 1865 74 

Jonathan Wright 1862 76 

David Roberts 1861 68 

William Clawson 1865 75 

Jemima Burson 1860 80 

Ann Hunt 1859 74 

Samuel Charles 1849 90 

Gulielma Charles (wife of Samuel) 1847 86 

John Pool 1865 88 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 413 



DIED. AGE. 

Elizal)eth Pool . . . 1848 64 

Sarah Tremble 1849 71 

Abigail Kooiis 1850 78 

John Starr 1850 72 

Mary Starr 1865 79 

Lydia Holinan (wife of Joseph) 1854 63 

Jonathan Wright 1862 79 

Nathan Clark 1854 51 

John Hawkins (born 1777) 1859 82 

Lydia Hawkins (born 1768) 1854 86 

Tabitha White 1856 84 

Sarah Stuart 1859 89 

Note. — In these grounds were found hundreds of graves without a 
stone to tell the story of the departed; and very many more, which had 
low rude markers, were wholly without inscriptions — thus consigning 
to oblivion a host of honored, worthy and deserving names. This was 
especially true of the west side division, recently converted into a 
public park by James M. Starr. 



GERMAN LUTHERAN CEMETERY 



DIED. AGE 

Samuel B. ]Morris 1887 69 

Christopher Yurgens 1868 63 

John H. Schepmau ; 1889 67 

G. H. Snyder 1890 55 

Henry Rosa 1883 70 

John Henry Drifmeier 1886 77 

John W. Snyder 1873 64 

AVilliam Kehlenbrink 1879 67 

Bernhardt H. KnoUenberg 1878 59 

Miria E. KnoUenberg 1884 57 

Christoplier H. Kemper 1886 52 

Ernist Frederick Rosa 1870 

Catharine M. Sittloh 1894 

John Deitrich KnoUenberg 187() 90 

]Maria KnoUenberg f wife of J. D.) 1874 85 



DO 

72 



414 POEMS A^W SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

John F. Besselman 1867 57 

John Henry Landwehr 1874 83 

Christopher H. Erk 1882 65 

Gerhard H. «chuella 1884 58 

Henry Wnnker (born 1799) 1877 78 

J. Henry Sieweke 1878 79 

August Kamp 1883 76 

Henry Yurgens . 1865 72 

Catherine Yurgens (wife of Henry) 1872 78 

Eberhard H. Kemper 1870 63 

WilHam Koehring (born 1811) 1890 79 

Rev. August Mueller 1884 52 

Peter Arnold (born 1811 i 1890 79 

Elizabeth Arnold (wife of Peter) 1876 59 

August H. Dunning 1891 54 

G. H. Fetta 1874 63 



GERMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Barbara Hatmaker 1883 75 

John Henry Moorman (born 1816; grocer) . . . 1889 73 

George Balling (grocer) 1895 47 

John Henry IMeyer (born 1825) 1880 55 

F. Gauspohl (born 1816) 1887 71 

K. Gauspohl (wife of F.) 1891 66 

John Henry Brocamp 1880 71 

Clement Liss 1887 64 

Bernard H. A. Melle (born 1805) 1865 60 

H. H. Geers (born 1815) 1890 75 

Maria Anna Geers (born 1811) 1875 64 

Elizabeth Pardieck (born 1790) 1862 72 

Eva Deabert (born 1810) 1878 68 

Louis Bedenbecker (born 1800) 1866 66 

Maria Anna Bedenbecker (wife of Louis) .... 1869 74 

Peter Shindler 1882 72 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 415 

DIED. A(;e. 

Gerard Grothaus (born 1822) 1893 71 

Gatharina Grothaus (wife of Gerard) 1893 71 

Joseph Batter 1877 63 

:Mary A. Batter 1891 67 

Kasper H. Kuhlenbeck (born 1806) 1884 79 

Elizabeth Kuhlenbeek (wife of Harmon H.) • • • 1882 74 

J. W. Seliwegman 1865 98 

Frances Loehle (wife of Charles) 1878 63 

Joseph B. Brocamp 1874 75 

A. M. Elizabeth Brocamp (born 1800) 1883 83 

Frank H. Rohe 1879 57 

Elizabeth Blomer (wife of Henry) 1871 ()3 

H. Anton (born 1808) 1892 84 

Anne Rohe (born 1826) 1892 66 

J. H. Berheide (born 1821 ; farmer) 1893 72 

J. W. Wolke 1891 79 

Anna M. Kuhlman 1878 88 

Harmon H. Pohlmeyer (born 1810) 1881 71 

Frank Heidkamp (born 1816) 1889 73 

John E. Hoppe 1884 65 

Barnard Lenaman 1866 70 

Casper Johannes 1876 01 

Bennet Baumer (farmer) 1883 72 

Anthony Overman 1890 49 

Katharina Kamberly 1883 68 

John H. Offenbeck (born 1796) 1872 7() 

Gerhard H. Imhofi" (born in Hanover, Germany) 1882 107 

Joseph G. Imhoti" (born 1818) 1889 71 

M. Elizabeth Offenbeck (born 1801) 1870 69 

Herman Bowing (born 1811) 1884 73 

Bernard Meggenburg 1875 54 

Elizabeth Meyer 1891 83 

George M. Theobold 1891 76 

Geneva Theobold 1888 59 

Anton Egli (born 1817) 1S79 62 

Bernard Heilkamp (born 1818) 1869 51 

Louis Pebus 1886 51 

Maria Merkamp (wife of Henry) 1885 56 



4U) POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 

IRISH CATHOLIC CEMETERY 



DIED. AGE. 

Margaret Flatley (wife of Thomas) 1885 59 

Thomas McShea 1890 73 

Susan EUis (wife of J. F.) 1890 70 

Daniel Maloy 1880 58 

Dominick McMullen 1890 64 

Mary IMcMullen 1888 57 

Annie Kain 1884 58 

Maria AVhalen M'^ead (wife of John) 1879 77 

Lawrence Mead 1869 62 

Ellen Devine (wife of James) 1871 58 

Michael Kute 1888 63 

Sarah Galvin -. 1880 68 

Joseph Cowhig 1892 78 

Ellen Cowhig (wife of Joseph) 1886 69 

Peter Mitchell 1885 52 

James Carr 1888 69 

Julia O'Connor (wife of Edmund) . 1877 65 

Bridget Carr (wife of Peter) 1865 85 

Timothy McHugh 1877 62 

John Leonard 1884 61 

Catharine Karney (wife of Patrick) 1871 67 

Mary Flanagan '. 1872 73 

Margaret Hogan 1888 85 

James Gordon 1893 64 

Winnie Gordon (wife of James) 1891 60 

Anna McManus 1892 55 

James Riley 1879 56 

Catharine Luby (wife of ^lichael) 1876 50 

Mary Conway (wife of Walter) 1879 63 

Michael Kennedy 1881 74 

Lawrence Healey 1884 90 

Margaret Mullen 1879 80 

Michael Grace 1890 90 

Thomas Burke 1867 53 

Patrick :\ritchell 1893 60 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 41 



DIED. AGE. 

David Breen 1894 55 

John O'Neal (contractor) 1895 57 

Johanna Ryan 1894 65 

Margaret Breen (wife of John) 1891 58 

MaryMcIntire 1883 53 

Thomas Dnnn 1882 55 

Russell Turner 1884 65 

Timothy Harrington 1885 73 

]Mary Flanagan (wife of John) • • • 1880 62 

Patrick Doyle 1881 60 

Dennis Kenney 1871 84 

Mary Kenney 1871 73 

Patrick Madden 1889 63 

Anthony Madden 1893 65 

Philip Frazier 1892 72 

Patrick Beatty 1890 65 

Patrick Mitchell 1891 70 



HOOVER BURYING-GROrNDS 



DIED. AGE. 

William L. Brady (harness-maker) 1872 62 

Susan Brady (wife of William L.) 1891 79 

Henry Hunter (manufacturer of cutlery) .... 1875 59 

Henry Hoover 1868 80 

Frederick Hoover 1868 85 

David Hoover (very early pioneer) 1886 85 

Catharine Hoover (wife of David) 1865 75 

Samuel Hoover 1869 60 

Jacob Sanders 1864 72 

Sarah Sanders (wife of Jacob) 1884 86 

Susannah Wright 1862 77 

Daniel Bulla 1890 76 

William Bulla 1862 85 

David Hoover, Jr. (died Jan. 22) 1897 74 



418 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



McCLURE FAMILY CEMETERY. 



DIED. 


AGE 


1839 


51 


1862 


73 


1875 


84 


1867 


74 


1861 


66 


1852 


55 


1847 


49 


1869 


69 


1883 


80 


1847 


42 


1820 


12 


1887 


75 


1847 


33 


1847 


82 


1850 


82 



BORN. 

Thomas McClure 1788 

Nathan McCliire 1789 

Isabel D. McClure 1791 

Nancy D. McClure 1793 

Polly R. McClure 1795 

David McClure 1797 

Jane A. McClure 1798 

Rebecca N. McClure 1800 

Sarah W. McClure 1803 

James McClure 1805 

Holbert McClure 1808 

Elizabeth L. McClure 1812 

Alexander McClure 1814 

Nathaniel McClure 1765 

Jane McClure (wife of Nathaniel, Sr.) . . . 1768 
( The preceding are parents and children of 
one family.) 

Sarah j\[cClure (consort of Nathaniel, Jr.) . . . 1846 58 

The McClures were a very peculiar people — ignorant, 
honest, unsophisticated and confiding. When the writer first 
knew them, there w^ere some half-dozen old maids in the 
family, ranging from forty to fifty years in age. They were to 
be seen upon our streets, weekly, for many years, until Uterally 
retired by their infirmities. Their home was on a farm about 
two-and-a-half miles southeast of the city. They all dressed 
as nearly alike as possible, usually wearing some conspicuous, 
out-of-date pattern, a showy shawl and large "scoop" bonnet; 
each one carrying a great black satchel and large old-fashioned 
cotton umbrella, walking invariably in single file — presenting 
a most novel and grotesque appearance, so that one might 
readily have fancied them to be the quaint representatives of 
a past and long-forgotten age. None of their number ever 
married, as the parents required that that interesting event 
should occur to each in the order of their respective ages — the 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 419 

eldest first, and so on down to the youngest member — but as 
no such opportunity ever came, in that particular way, they 
finally all passed hence in a state of " single blessedness," 
attaining to very advanced ages. With their demise, the 
family name became extinct, and their likes will never, here, 
be seen aorain. 



FRIENDS' "RIDGE" CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

William Elliott 1889 74 

Ezra Smith (carpenter) 1886 73 

Margaret Smith (wife of Ezra) 1886 72 

J. ]Micamy Wasson 1884 75 

Jonathan Moore (shoemaker) 1884 78 

EHza Moore (wife of Jonathan) 1882 70 

Xathan Morgan, Sr. (early undertaker) 1885 92 

]\Iargaret H. Morgan (wife of Nathan) 1876 77 

Ira Moore 1885 75 

Solomon Gause 1880 72 

Benjamin F. Horton 1876 65 

Lucinda Dowell 1870 78 

Dr. William R. Webster (dentist) 1881 64 

Samuel Irwin (farmer) 1888 68 

John S. Brown (farmer) 1879 68 

Stacey H. Wilkins (tailor) 1887 70 

Eleanor S. Wilkins (wife of Stacey) 1892 73 

John Hughes (early carpenter) 1869 87 

Joseph Parry (plasterer) 1870 82 

Sarah Parry (wife of Joseph) 1861 72 

William Thistlethwaite (farmer) 1871 79 

William Cain, Sr. (lumber dealer) 1876 75 

Rebecca Hill 1871 79 

William Parry (president Fort Wayne Railroad) . 1894 84 

Mary Parry (wife of William) 1892 79 

Charles W. Starr 1855 62 

Elizabeth Starr (wife of Charles W.) 1884 86 



420 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

A. Morton Brailej^ 1886 88 

Joseph Gibson 1869 70 

Robert Morrisson, Sr. (financier) 1865 75 

James S. Hibberd 1894 82 

George Hill 1882 57 

Aaron Sliute (farmer) 1883 76 

Thomas Sooy 1867 75 

Alma Sooy (wife of Thomas) 1884 83 

Ed\yard Kirby (farmer) 1868 47 

Susan Wiley 1886 70 

David Wiley (harness-maker) 1854 29 

Joshua Wiley (harness-maker) 1866 48 

Martha Nixon (wife of William) 1864 84 

William Nixon 1869 94 

Joel Matthews 1877 78 

Susannah Wright , 1872 84 

William L. John (born 1805) 1896 91 

James B. Hughes (died Feb. 27) 1897 84 



KING'S CEMETEEY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Mary Drake (wife of Ephraim) 1875 84 

Aaron Pitman 1879 70 

James E. Bryant 1871 63 

John Wilcoxen 1875 84 

B. H. Ivins 1866 59 

Frances Embree (wife of John) 1863 77 

Thomas Allred 1860 80 

Margaret AUred (wife of Thomas) 1855 79 

Louisa Bryant (wife of James E.) 1848 35 

Hannah A. Ewbank (wife of Thomas) 1873 45 

Marjahah Rich (wife of Joseph) 1863 73 

Joseph Rich 1858 70 

Jane Russell (wife of Vinnedge) 1851 34 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 421 



DIED. AGE. 

William Kern 1855 34 

Sarah Taylor (wife of David R.) 1853 25 

John V. Miller 1836 24 

Samuel Russell 1835 64 

Elizabeth Russell 1833 57 

William Vinuedge 1839 40 

Margaret Vinnedge 1839 38 

Jacob Miller 1829 64 

Julia A. :Nriller 1878 74 

Nancy Davis (wife of William) 1868 66 

Mary J. Russell (wife of John) 1872 34 

Elizabeth Cox 1880 93 

Eveline Cox 1859 39 

WiUiam Cox 1823 38 

Sarah Bulla 1839 24 



GOSHEN CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Joseph Brown 1877 91 

Alice Brown (wife of Joseph) 1884 91 

Thomas Straw^bridge 1879 58 

Joseph Strawbridge 1851 78 

Nancy Strawbridge 1852 61 

John Morrow 1875 65 

John Chapman 1881 82 

Kersey Graves (born 1813) 1883 70 

Lydia Michener Graves (born 1814) 1889 75 

William Wood 1881 75 

Catherine Misner (wife of Charles D.) 1876 90 

Paul Starbuck 1878 50 

Margaret Graves (wife of Nathan) 1862 66 

Nathan Graves 1862 78 

Joseph Bond 1864 79 

Sarah Bond 1 848 57 



422 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

Levis Graves. 1878 65 

Lydia Arinent 1869 76 

Elizabeth Bond (wife of Joseph) 1885 80 

Barbara Terrell (wife of Eobert) 1880 67 

William Bennett 1876 73 

Sarah Selina Grave (wife of Stephen) 18S0 61 

James P. Thomas 1847 57 

Ann Thomas 1880 84 

^'^ancy Thomas (wife of H. W.; 1893 73 

$arah A. T. Hiatt 1865 62 

Ilida C. Thomas 1854 73 

John Thomas 1855 87 

Rachel A. Thomas (wife of George W.) 1879 57 

Eeason B. Craig 1881 78 

Dorcas Craig 1873 59 

David Little 1893 83 

Mary Little (wife of David) 1882 66 

William Hawkins . . . .' 1887 79 

William S. Morton 1893 71 

Elizabeth Thomas (wife of J. W.) 1881 59 

John E. Willse 1873 83 

Rachel M. BU\ck 1885 67 

Hannah B. Jeffries (wife of Way) 1870 72 

Way Jeffries 1874 77 

Samuel Sparklin 1887 64 

Elizabeth Jeffries (wife of Isaac) 1877 71 

Beulah Satcher (wife of Robert) 1886 85 

Thomas Wesler 1882 83 

Susan Wesler (wife of Thomas) . . . ." 1878 72 

John Fassold 1885 83 

Sarah Fassold 1883 76 

Malinda M. Kerlin (wife of Elijah^ 1879 72 

Phcebe Barton 1894 74 

Thomas Marshall 1892 79 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 423 

ELKHORN CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

B. Frank Bradbury (farmer) 1885 60 

Charles E. Bradbury (tinner) • 1873 54 

Elizabeth Smel.^er 1861 75 

Jacob Smelser 1875 91 

John P. Smith 1885 68 

Martha Stanley 1823 87 

Nathan D. Farlow 1880 63 

Rachel Farlow 1880 87 

(ieorge Farlow 1873 84 

Morton Meek 1894 81 

Thurza Burgess 1878 74 

Rev. Hugh Cull 1862 105 

William Ray 1876 69 

DisaMcLain 1887 74 

Solomon Conley 1871 82 

.Alary Wood . '. 1848 82 

Margaret Sedgwick 1890 72 

Joseph D. Turner 1835 80 

Abraham Gaar 1861 92 

Dinah Gaar 1834 66 

Bartlemy Burroughs 1849 69 

Barton Wyatt 1870 73 

Richard Sedgwick 1849 75 

Edmund Jones 1874 85 

cieorge Jarrett 1855 72 

Zachariah Stanley 1852 70 

Thomas Wyatt 1830 77 

Charles Hunt 1818 76 

David Railsback 1 858 85 

Abraham Endsley 1850 73 

Smith Hunt 1855 72 

Mary Nelson 1872 80 

Charles Paulson 1858 55 

Eliza Paulson 1862 53 

Rebecca Clarke (wife of Caleb M.) 1835 25 



424 POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 



DIED AGE. 

John Endsley 1838 66 

Peter Smith (father of George) 1866 86 

Margaret Smith (mother of George) 1868 80 

George Smith (boru 1820) 

Clarissa Smith (wife of George ; born 1828) 

Joel Railsback 1895 87 

Ehzabeth Railsback (wife of Joel) 1848 38 

Timothy Hunt (born 1771) 1823 52 

Isabella Hunt (wife of Timothy; born 1777) . . . 1857 80 

Lazarus AVhitehead (early Baptist minister) ... 1816 62 

William Whitehead 1814 30 

Hannah Whitehead 1809 27 

Richard Rue 1844 84 

Elizabeth Rue (wife of Richard) 1833 68 

Andrew Hunt (born 1807) 1895 88 

Hannah B. Hunt 1872 59 

Mary H. Smith 1888 55 

G. W. Hunt 1869 64 

J. P. Burgess 1881 83 

"IXDIAXA, 

" To the memory of Levi Jones, son of Edmund and 
Euthy Jones. Was born May the Slst, 1812, and left 
this earthly vale of sorrow and pain June the I4th, 

1835. Age, 23 years and li days.'' 1835 23 

Note. — To appreciate the inscription, the stone should be seen. 



CHESTER CEMETERY 



DIED. AGE. 

William Cook 1885 68 

Jesse Hunt 1883 76 

Wilson Horn 1866 68 

Clarkie Horn (wife of Wilson) 1864 66 

Robert Higgs 1875 52 

Catharine Hunt 1888 82 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 425 



DIED. AGE. 

Hannah Ogborn (born in Xorth Carolina, 1805) . 1892 8(> 

:Martha J. Pickett 1893 67 

James Mann 1891 6(3 

Abigail Kendall (wife of William) 1879 66 

Aghsa Baldwin 1865 61 

Margaret Baldwin 1864 71 

Mary Swain 'wife of Francis) • • 1840 37 

Thomas Bunker 1864 59 

Rebecca Bunker (wife of Thomas) 1865 59 

Jacob Bartenschlag 1876 58 

Rebecca Bunker (wife of Samuel) 1892 76 

Samuel Bunker 1881 64 

Mary Pickett 1890 65 

Ehzabeth Clark (wife of Jesse) 1874 86 

Israel Woodruff 1870 55 

Eleazar Hiatt iborn 1782) 1872 90 

John Gregg 1867 42 

Joshua Crampton (born 1807) 1870 63 

Elihu Hunt 1872 67 

Mihon Pickett 1872 46 

Wilham Hunt 1885 7() 

Elijah Roberts 1895 84 

Elizabeth Roberts (wife of Elijah) 1880 63 

Dr. Henry Ginther 1869 36 

Benjamin Carroll 1862 78 

Rachel Carroll (wife of Benjamin) 1865 73 

Ursly Epps (wife of Richard) 1885 97 

Abner S. Searing 1879 60 

William B. Carman 1879 81 

William H. Carman 1 887 59 

Elihu Williams 1895 70 

John Jeffries 1876 81 

Elizabeth Samms 1862 65 

Andrew Hampton 1859 74 

Esther Starbuck (wife of WiUiam) 1887 69 

William Starbuck (born 1788) 1825 37 

Michael Weesner (born 1788) 1869 81 



426 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

Benjamin Pickett (born 1797) • • • 1876 79 

Deborah Pickett (wife of Benjamin) ...... 1864 66 

Daniel Fisher 1840 57 

Demaris Fisher 1869 83 

Phebe Fisher (wife of E. D.) 1875 68 

Edward Fisher 1882 76 

Benjamin Samms 1857 67 

Elizabeth Commons (wife of John) 1850 34 

Margaret Carlisle 1859 64 

Jehiel Hampton, Sr 1859 66 

Elwood Clark 1877 52 



CEXTERVILLE CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Sarah Hornish 1845 77 

Rebecca Test (wife of Charles H.) 1842 34 

Minerva J. Barnard (wife of 0. M.) 1858 39 

Sarah Lamson (wife of J. R.) 1859 61 

Jehiel R. Lamson 1861 68 

George Kirkman 1853 51 

Eliza Williams (wife of Washington) 1848 40 

Robert E. Hagerty 1834 23 

David M. Hagerty 1833 20 

Lucinda Ringo 1841 30 

Mary Abrahams (wife of Israel) 1846 61 

Joseph Grunden 1855 42 

Ann Crooks (wife of Thomas) 1847 41 

Daniel W. Conningham 1846 52 

Matthew Dill, Sr 1859 76 

Jane Dill (wife of Matthew, Sr.) .1863 76 

Dora Dill 1835 20 

Thomas Dill 1846 27 

James Swan 1844 26 

ElvoniaPugh (wife of John E.) 1851 22 

Dr. William Piigh 1829 33 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 42^ 



DIED. AGE. 

Henry Dunham 1855 59 

Harrison Jones 1844 31 

Henry A. Finch 1845 23 

Cyrus Finch 1829 34 

Jacob X. Booker (born 1785) 1825 40 

Sarah Booker (wife of Jacob N.) 1852 GO 

Samuel P. Booker 1823 34 

Lauretta E. Xeel (wife of James) 1847 34 

John Doughty, Sr 1842 75 

Nancy Adams 1844 78 

Emsley Swain 1845 35 

Elizabetli Emily Harvey (wife of Isom) 1834 24 

Jane Widup (wife of William) 1830 50 

Isabella Hart (consort of Patrick) 1830 53 

Levi :\I . Jones 1823 38 

:\Liry Jones (wife of Levi M.) 1848 65 

Peter Ringo 1859 68 

Margaret Ringo (wife of Peter) 1849 55 

Lot Bloomfield 1847 58 

William Boston 1835 39 

Martha Morris (wife of Owen) 1849 36 

Owen Morris 1865 52 

Joseph y. Gregg 1850 65 

Nathaniel Bell 1845 43 

G. W. Stonestreet 1845 45 

John Lewis 1825 31 

Ann Lewis 1820 27 

Robert Dinwiddle 1843 35 

George Heagy 1839 54 

Levi Crowe 1840 23 



BOSTON CEMETERY. 



DIED. AGE. 

Captain Lewis Pigg 1882 64 

Nathan Byars 1887 68 

Jane Girton 1871 99 



.428 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



DIED. AGE. 

Jeremiah Girton 1845 72 

James Bowles 1854 76 

Sylvester Girton 1884 65 

Samuel Druley 1822 70 

Ann Druley (wife of Samuel) . 1845 90 

James Stanley 1838 34 

Catharine Stanley 1842 88 

Martha (wife of John McKinnon and also of Owen 

Seaney) 1873 82 

Jemima Esteb (wife of John) 1839 61 

John Esteb 1856 84 

Owen Seaney 1871 69 

Sinthia Ann Stanley * 1837 25 

Effie Grimes (wife of William) . 1849 58 

WiUiam Grimes 1853 67 

Martha Druley (consort of Aaron) 1842 25 

Nancy Parke (wife of Curtis) 1850 42 

Nancy Harris (wife of Thomas) 1849 61 

Charles R. Stout 1876 82 

Nicholas Druley 1849 69 

Rosanna Price 1881 76 

Samuel Druley . 1874 92 

William Druley 1851 40 

EHza Steele / 1886 79 

Luther Garthwaite 1849 63 

William AValker - 1886 72 

Eliza J. Druley (wife of John) 1878 53 

Elizabeth H. Druley (wife of John) 1885 51 

Timothy Conley . " 1848 38 

Sarah E. Conley (wife of Timothy) 1853 38 

Isaac Conley, Sr 1864 76 

Mary Conley (wife of Isaac) 1851 65 

Curtis H. Parks 1889 85 

Nathan Druley (born 1815) 1895 80 

Nancy P. Druley (wife of Nathan) 1893 78 

Leah Evans (wife of Owen) 1875 85 

Lewis G. Evans (born 1813) 1849 36 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 429 



DIED. AGE. 

Rev. Frank Evans 1879 42 

Dr. D. S. Evans 1868 56 

Emley H. Davenport 1880 54 

Smith Druley 1890 72 

Anna E. Druley 1896 76 

William Bulla^ 1892 82 

Daniel R. Shrader 1878 66 

Martha Shrader (wife of Daniel R.) 1877 70 

.^avid Fonts 1863 59 ^ 

John G.Smith 1895 85 

Rosanna Smith (wife of John G.) 1886 75 

William G. Seaney 1884 57 

John Moss (born 1830) 1895 65 

Levi Druley 1882 74 

Levi Stanley (born 1814) 1891 77 

Susanna B. Stanley (wife of Levi) J 887 68 



RECENT DEATHS. 



DIED. AGE. 

Harmon B. Payne 1894 76 

Jesse Starr 1894 77 

Isaac Gaston 1894 65 

William P. Hutton 1894 50 

Dr. Joseph Ho wells 1896 80 

Mrs. Harmon B. Payne 1895 76 

John Brooks (of Greensfork) 1896 89 

Mrs. Martha Gates (OHve Hill) 1896 98 

John Gates (near Olive Hill) 1896 95 

William Goodrich 1 896 62 

John Heiger 1896 72 

George R. Brown (father of Van D. Brown) . . . 1896 85 

John Stonebraker (Hagerstown) 1896 lOOo 

Isaac Stonebreaker 1895 87 

Jonathan Baldwin 1896 81 



430 POEMS AND SKETCHES, 



DIED. AGE. 

Isaac Kiusey (Milton) 1896 75 

Mrs. Marietta L. Iredell {nee SoiitTrain ; born 1812) 1896 84 

Dr. Dougan Clark (born 1828) 1896 68 

Peter Crocker (carriage maker) 1896 81 

John Steele (died Oct. 17) 1896 77 

Mrs. Sarah Jessup (died Oct. 29) 1896 92 

Eliza A. Earnist (wife of Abram) 1896 75 

Rebekah Edwards (born 1810) 1896 86 

Susan Thomas (wife of John H.) 1896 89 

Charles H. Biirchenal (attorney; died Dec. 7) . . 1896 66 

Mrs. Sarah Eliason (wife of Levi ; died Dec. 12) . 1896 82 

Henr}' R. Downing (twenty years an undertaker) 1896 65 

Jacob Hampton (farmer ; died Dec. 25) 1896 76 

Jeremiah Brown (died Jan. 22) 1897 85 



^s 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



431 



THE SOLDIER DEAD. 



The following is as complete a list as we have been able 
to obtain of such of the dead as are interred in this vicinity, in 
the cemeteries named. 

" While the flr-tree is green, 
And the wind rolls a wave, 
The tear-drop shall brighten 
The turf of the brave." 



MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY. 



Casper Zeph, 8th Indiana. 
John W. Foster, 16th Indiana. 
Silas Clark, 8th Indiana. 
Oliver Brightwell, 69th Indiana. 
Maj. John H, Finley, 69th Indiana. 
Cornelius Hall, 36th Indiana. 
Wm. S. Davidson, 2d Indiana Cav. 
John Olds, 8th Indiana, 
Phil. H, Wiggins, 36th Indiana. 
Charles Wright, 36th Indiana. 
William Wright, 36th Indiana. 
Joseph P. Dempsey, 69th Indiana. 
O. J. Hyde, 57th Indiana. 
Dr. Joel Vaile, 57th Indiana. 
John S. Hollett, 20th Indiana. 
Jacob Newcomb, 6th O. V. I. 
Joseph E. Bender, 28th Indiana. 
Jos. D. Fleming, Co. A, 133d Indiana. 
Madison Addington. 
A. Emesweiler. 
Dr. Alfred Potts. 
William Engle, Co. F, 69th Indiana. 

Jessup 

H. Winderling. 

John H. Zimmer, 36th Indiana. 
Aaron Addington, Sith Indiana. 
Dr. Alfred Potts, 16th Indiana. 



J. M. Alexander, 8th O. V. I. 

Henry Weidner. 

Captain Louis Henchman. 

Di\ Silas Fisher, 16th Indiana. 

Evans Clark, 69th Indiana. 

Enos Edwards. 

J. M. Bruck. 

Charles Shatz. 

Shifner. 

Hugh Galligher. 

John Laker, 8th Indiana. 

A. P. Dunham. 

William Jones. 

Chris. F. Schultz. 

John G. Vesper. 

James A. Linquthake, 2d Indiana. 

Major A. E. Gordon. 

John Loheres, o5th Indiana. 

Archie Bell. 

Lieutenant George Taylor. 

William Clark. 

Allen J. Fisk. 

Cornelius Hall, 69th O. V. I. 

William S. Davidson, 86th Indiana. 

G. W. Wright. 

Captain George M. Graves. 

Enos R. Clark, Co. A, 69th Indiana. 



432 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



Alexander Horney, (i9th Indiana. 
John H. Popp, Major ISth Indiana. 
William P. Payne, oTth Indiana. 
John A. Longnecker, 8th Indiana. 
John F. Haws, 57th Indiana. 
William Engle, 69th Indiana. 
William Edwards. 2d Indiana. 
Joseph Lintner, 8th Indiana. 



Philander A. Scott, 8th Indiana. 

John F. Haines. 

Theodore Shifner, O. V. I. 

Amos Arnold. 

Joseph G. McXutt. 

Comrade Vogle. 

Jerry Hyde, 57th Indiana. 



EARLHAM CEMETERY. 



Capt. Quinby. U. S. A. 

John Mendenhall. 

Frank Lewellen. 

Capt. Jno. Hunt, Co. D, 57ih Indiana. 

Jos. M. Strattan, Co. D, 133d Indiana. 

Charles O. Wilson, adjutant. 

Thomas Viciny. 

John H. Cook. 

Lieut. Jno. E. Holland, signal officer. 

Wm. Wiggins, Co. C, 8th Indiana. 

W. P. Wilson, sergeant 19th Indiana. 

Paul Griffith, 8th Indiana. 

Benjamin F. Schlagle, Co. E, 69th 

Indiana. 
Samuel F. Schlagle. Co. B, 19th Ind. 
John W. Schlagle, Co. E, 69th Ind. 
Peter Bond. 
Henry Xagle, Co. A, 135th Indiana. 



Dr. David Evans, surgeon 69th Ind. 
Dr. Elisha Fisher, surgeon 16th Ind. 
John Mason, Co. A, 69th Ind. 
John Turpen, 2d Indiana Cavalry. 
Charles Petty, 19th Indiana. 
George Ross, Co. A, 183d Indiana. 
Geo. M. Bailey, Co. B, 126th O. Y. I. 
Capt. Joseph S. Stedham, Co. C, 57th 

Indiana. 
Geo. W. Anderson. Co. A, 69th Ind. 
Ambrose Lytle (colored). 
John Hunt, 1st Massachusetts Y. I. 
Wm. Overman (colored), 2Sth U. S. 
Mr. Miller, unknown. 
Cornelius Pitman, 2d Indiana Cav. 
Henry Beckman, 2Sth U. S. A. 
Joseph Werner, 2d Indiana Cavalry. 
B. F. Martin, 78th Indiana. 



ELKHORX CEMETERY, 



Thomas H. Ser, Co. C, 19th Ind. 
George W. Beeler, Co. C, 57th Ind. 
Reece Swafford, Co. G, 69th Indiana. 



Eev. Hugh Oull. 

William Hort. Co. A. 133rd Indiana 



BOSTOX CEMETERY 



Lewis Pigg, 57th Indiana. 
Edward G. Stanley. 
Wm. H. Stanlev. 



Jonathan Hill. 

Dr. D. S. S. Evans. 69th Indiana. 

Rev. Frank Evans. 69th Indiana. 



LUTHERAN CEMETERY. 

Louis O.Shofer, Co. A., 69th Indiana. John Muy, unknown. 
Atigust Posthares, 124th Indiana. Casper Roll, 124th Indiana. 
Henry Meyers, o2d Indiana. Fred Beckman. 124th Indiana. 



POEMS AXD SKETCHES. 433 



GERMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY. 

Paul Meyers, Sth Indiana. William Hutzbout, unknown. 

George Betz, \inknown. 

IRISH CATHOLIC CEMETERY. 

David Kelley. 124th Indiana. Lieut. John Dougan. Co. K, 35th 

Michael McAvoy, 2d Indiana Cav. Indiana. 

PUBLIC CEMETERY'. 

Joseph Werner, 2d Indiana Cav. John Hunt, Ist Massachusetts. 

Henry Beckman. 28th U. S. William Overman. 2Sth U. S. 

C. Pitman, 2d Indiana Cavalry. William Sawyer, 28th U. S. 
J. Goodman, 124th Indiana. 

OLD CATHOLIC CEMETERY'. 
Henry Linneman, 19th Indiana. 

Kennedy's chapel. 
William H. Bailev. 



434 POEMS AND SKETCHES. 



GOD BLESS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



An Acrostic. 

God bless him for his wisdom, for his wisdom blessed his kind ; 
Often sorely tried was he, in body and in mind; 
Devoted, wholly, to the welfare of his race ; 
Bowed oft in spirit, oft he sought for grace. 

Love, led by judgment, ever good and true. 
Engaged his soul in what he sought to do ; 
Serenely, surely and sincerely wrought, 
Soundly considered, every act and thought. 

A loyal hero none could tempt with gold ; 
Brave as a lion, strong and just and bold ; 
Reared in grim poverty, riches he did not crave ; 
A man of iron will, he freed the shackled slave. 

Haughty he was not, though supreme in power; 
Armed to do battle — if came such hapless hour — 
Manfully, did the evil time require ; 
Loth to use extremes, he did not thus aspire. 

Innocent and tender, he, as a very child ; 

None could ever gentler be, none was less defiled ; 

Cool in all his conduct, cautious and serene, 

Only he was master, without malice, hate or spleen. 

Long live his memory — his life was pure and just; 
Naught of guile was in his soul, wrought of love and trust. 

Jaxiarv 20, 1897. 



POEMS AND SKETCHES. 435 



FAREWELL POEM. 



Not the end of the world has come, dear friend, 

But the end of the book is here ; 
And we trust that some good has been said or done 

That may add to your weal or cheer. 

For this life is short, though the wa}' be long, 

And, ofttimes, not o'er smooth ; 
So a timely word, or a snatch of song. 

May aid us, the soul to soothe. 

So, now, farewell ! May we often meet, 

While pilgrims we yet here stray, 
As well, hereafter, to know and greet 

Each other, in love, alway. 

The Author. 
March, 1897. 



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